Livin' In the Sweet Virginia Breeze

There's a What In My Front Yard????

2011-11-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

This little guy and his family inhabit the back woods of our farm, now. Last Friday, Nathan ran up on this cub eating pecans off the ground from the tree near our house. It really startled both of them. Nathan took off on his 4-wheeler and came inside to tell me. I didn't believe him at first. A bear cub? In our yard?

I grabbed my camera and headed out the door with Nathan standing on the porch to help look out for Mama Bear. Our farm is open space farmland on all four sides and a row of pecan trees follow the lane up to the house. He was eating on the ground about 30 yards from my front door.

When he saw me he jumped up in the tree, hissed and swatted at me but I held my ground and growled back. It surprised him but it gave me enough time to take a few pics before I ran inside.

Since then we have seen him in the evenings eating pecans with the deer down the lane. And yesterday we saw Papa, Mama and this cub crossing the back field into the woods. All I can say is........WOW! The Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries is aware and emailed me information on living with Black Bears in Virginia. Welcome to country living!!

Bring it On!

2011-09-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

My two little rugrats ready for the first day of school. Both of them were anxious to get the day underway. AnnaBelle did great at preschool and is thoroughly enjoying herself!

Costumeexpress.com had a great deal for early Halloween shoppers. I let them decide what they wanted and this was the end result. Amazingly they are taking care of these costumes, could my constant bickering about respecting things finally sunk in? Well see!

Looking forward to the cooler weather this weekend. The cold front moved through this evening with sharp lightning and periods of heavy rain. Fall, my favorite season of all!

Time to Spread Your Wings and Fly Little Bird

2011-08-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

When I had my daughter in March of 2008, I felt complete. With a then 3 year old son and a great hubby I finally had my family unit. So the days go by......

and I have watched you grow from a baby to a toddler and today really stopped to wonder. Boy has the time flown by! The summer will soon usher in fall and my little independent girl will be entering Preschool.

I'll babble like a baby in the car that first day back in September. I'll suck up the tears when you confidently walk through that door after a few weeks into the semester.

And I've relished in watching you blossom and grow. I've especially enjoyed watching you develop a sense of humor and your need to make people laugh.

Such much excitement and challenges are ahead of you and while I can hardly wait for you to experience it, I just wish time would slow down just a bit.

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

Wow looking back, its been a while since I last posted. A testament to how busy we've been around here at Woodland. It has been so miserably and record breakingly hawt! Yet the kiddies could play outside most of the day if you keep the little pool filled. I love the fact they would rather play outdoors in a heartbeat!

As you can see the tomato crop is plentiful this year. Little Miss AnnaBelle enjoys counting and stacking them while I put them up. Along with the butterbeans and corn we are stocking the freezer full! Tomorrow I am going to make a batch of fig jam. Our tree is loaded with them this year.

My sunflowers this year bloomed in spectacular fashion and I didn't realize we had planted such a variety. Tomorrow I'll harvest what seeds I have left that the birds haven't enjoyed.

I'm keeping Nathan busy this summer. He enjoyed bible school at Rocky Hock UMC for the third year in a row and each year more and more children are attending. So good to see such a great turnout this year. This past week I signed him up for 3 days of tennis camp (MWF) at Cypress Cove. He absolutely loves it. So much that I am signing him up for a full week the second week in August. We played some on the basketball court this evening and had quite a few rallies. It was so nice playing tennis with my little man, what a special evening!

Papa's pool has been a nice respite after Nathan's tennis practices. AnnaBelle is getting to be a better swimmer everytime she gets into the pool. Nathan is learning to dive but it just looks like a cannon ball/belly flop! :)

The butterbeans are plentiful this season. We have been getting rain when we need it, such a different circumstance from last year. I picked over half bushel this morning. We're still doing the patch therapy on AnnaBelle's right eye (the good one) She has an appointment at the end of August and if this isn't going to work, I am thinking against the surgery. It will only correct the straightness which isn't that slightly off, but will not correct the vision. So I see no need in putting her through it.

My little girl will be starting preschool in the fall! She is doing so well on her potty training, I have been so proud of her. Still a ways to go, but what progress we have made!! :)

July Happenings

2011-07-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July was pleasantly spent on the farm with the in-laws coming over for dinner. In addition it was also George's birthday AND his Mom and Dad's anniversary. We had lots of vegetables from the garden along with chicken on the grill. AnnaBelle helped me make a chocolate cake for her Daddy and has eaten her weight in it since. She loves cake........ and flags!

The garden is producing extra since we've been blessed with rain when we needed it. Sure has been a change from last year.

We camped out twice last week since we had such great weather for it. No humidity and lows in the low 60's for both nights we camped out and I could do it every night if the weather cooperated. AnnaBelle is still asking me every evening if, "We gonna camp out, Momma?" Followed by a sigh of discontent when I tell her it's too hot....and boy has it been hot!

When the heat, humidity and the thunderstorms chase us inside we find other things to occupy the day.

Board games have been a hit. I bought a few over the last couple of months and have been introducing them to the kiddies. They LOVE this one! Isn't that the cutest toe?

But when it's really hot we head down to the river. A couple of weeks ago Nathan landed this nice smallmouth on a beetle spin. He was super happy and I was super proud. My little guy is getting to be quite the fisherman. He can throw right up to the shoreline with ease. He'll have his occasional squirrel fishing fiasco in the trees, but he quickly gets out of it, keeping his bait. Who hasn't?

Since this picture was taken the river has risen over 4 feet. The little islands are covered and we'll have to wait a few weeks for the level to go down. Judging from this map it could be a while.

http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=akq&gage=sebv2&view=1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1&toggles=10,7,8,2,9,15,6

Hmmm...we could always get that part we need for the canoe and put that into action! ;)

School's Out For Summer!!!

2011-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

My little guy graduated from kindergarten on Monday. His last day was yesterday and he brought home a great report card, exceeding in Science and Social Studies. **sniff sniff** I'm so proud of him! Now I'm 70+ days free from the school carpool.....YEA!!!!!

So it's a summer of backyard pool fun and swimming in Papa's pool. Trips to Busch Gardens and state parks. And a few vacation bible school weeks, too!

The garden is cranking. We've picked squash, snaps, cabbage, zucchini and we'll be eating eggplant this weekend! Yummm!

My little bundle of energy has been limping around the house for the past 2 days. She has a splinter on the bottom of her foot and has only let me attempt to take it out once. Its been hilarious watching her run on her tiptoes, and yesh the calf muscles she is developing! But tonight George and I plan on soaking it and removing it whether she likes it or not. Oh the fun that is going to be.....

We've had some cool nights and have been able to sleep out in the tent. We have such great times in there. I love the fact that they love camping, too. Can't wait to camp at some state parks when they are a little older.

8 More Days Until Summer Break!!

2011-06-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

We went strawberry picking at a local farm in Surry Co in May. They were so delicious. It was the first time AnnaBelle has ever been and after she figured out the white ones tasted bad and I showed her the juicy red ones she began picking left and right!

The garden has tripled in size from the last picture taken. The poles, wire and twine are up and the tomato plants are all caged. We received an inch and a half of rain this morning. Much needed rain. The ground was so thirsty. We drained one of the wells watering the smaller flower garden and were going to drain another on the big garden this morning until we heard the thunder roll through around 5 a.m. And then the soothing sound of rain hitting the tin let me know that we were extremely lucky. Folks in the southern end of the county didn't receive any measurable rain.

We spent Memorial Day at Papa's and the kiddies and I swam in the pool. Nathan is getting to be such the swimmer. I am so proud of the progress he has made. AnnaBelle is fearless, still and jumped into a floating chair and wanted to be toted around like the Queen. It was a nice afternoon despite the 100 degree heat.

She keeps asking me when we can camp out again. I wish we could have this past weekend but Nathan has been sick with a virus.

Last Wednesday he woke up with a headache and then vomited. Lovely.....so he stayed home and then began running a high temp into Thursday night. Early Friday morning he awoke gasping for air. We took him outside into the cool air and worked on calming him down because he was getting scared and I was afraid he might begin hyperventilating. I quickly changed while George stayed with him and then he and I rushed to the ER in Franklin. I ran the AC wide open the entire trip. Once we got there his breathing was better. They gave him a breathing treatment and Tylenol because of his 102 temp. They diagnosed him with Stridor and Pharyngitis (no strep thank goodness) and sent us home. He rested this weekend sleeping more than I have ever seen him before. Just look at how weak those eyes were on Friday after he begged us to sit outside for a brief respite. I think he'll be ready for school tomorrow. :)

As Time Goes By....

2011-05-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

A wonderful Mother's Day and a relaxing 45th birthday in the same week. I enjoyed homemade birthday cards, lots of hugs and a delicious dinner cooked by my hubby. I received some more charms for my Bauble LuLu bracelets and roses picked by my son from our garden. I am so blessed.

Thank God he's a country boy. I'm starting to teach him chords on his guitar. I catch him in front of his long length mirror strumming away to John Denver.

They're plenty of ladybugs around the farm. You never know where they'll land. This one favored Nathan while he was playing in the sandbox.

The garden is starting to crank. To the far left are garden peas that I have been picking for the past week or so. They're so good with butter! We got the tent up last week and we've slept in it once. It was AB's first time and I believe she is hooked. We toasted marshmallows, ate popcorn and watched The Backyardigans. We hope to do it again this weekend if the weather cooperates. We've had rain and thunderstorms every evening.

Miss Ellie is such a trooper when it comes to these kiddies of ours. The ole girl will turn 11 in September and has put up with her share of being written on with crayons, markers and paints and the occasional tail-pulling and she takes it all in stride. The ever faithful bulldog.

The Start of Spring Break

2011-04-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Nathan and the team played their first game on the 16th home against Courtland. He got him a few hits and got an out playing on first base. It was great to finally play after getting rained out at Sedley. We played Waverly this past Saturday and did really well!

Nathan and his cousin, Creed, had such a wonderful time playing on the farm. I kept Nathan a day out of school so Creed could come over. I enjoyed watching them run all over the place with AnnaBelle chasing behind them everywhere.

The Easter bunny stopped by Woodland and the kiddies enjoyed their candy for breakfast. He made sure to leave us plenty of peeps. He knows how much Momma loves them!

Spring Break is on! She had her 3 year checkup on Monday and gained a puny 1 pound since last year. But she is ahead of the charts on height, she's just a beanpole like I was and from pictures I have seen of him, another beanpole. Can't say that now, maybe just a more plump beanpole! :p

He woke up with a terrible cold and cough on Monday morning. What a way to start spring break. I've been rubbing him down with Vicks Vapor Rub and running the vaporizer and it is starting to break up. He's trying not to let it slow him down but he did take a nap yesterday afternoon and went to bed early tonight.

Remembering You

2011-04-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

4 years ago a beautiful angel entered heaven. Wow....some days it seems like forever and then I head to the wardrobe that holds some of your clothes and I breathe them in. Then it feels like yesterday when you left us.

But you are near everyday. I see you in his eyes and he remembers your beautiful smile and the tickles you gave him when he was a toddler.

And I see you in nature. You show me such beauty this way especially in the spring when everything is refreshed and renewed.

I know you are looking down on these 2 and adoring what you see. I truly understand what you meant when you said to enjoy the little things because they create the big picture. These little guys are bringing me so much happiness that my heart smiles. It's bittersweet to not have you here beside me to offer me guidance, but I feel you guiding me in subtle ways and nature along with my little family will continue to help me heal.

So You Just Roll On With It.....

2011-04-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

It's mornings like these where I am extremely grateful for the meds I have on hand to combat nausea. One of the complications of pancreatitis is nausea and it can strike at any time without warning. Today is one of those days. So I take it easy and restrict my diet to just liquids and this too shall pass. I can remember days not so long ago when nausea was an everyday occurence. That along with a gnawing pain in the upper abdomen are too much to handle and it's off to the hospital for a week's visit. But since my beaten pancreas has stopped producing enzymes I either get pain or nausea, hardly ever both at the same time as before. So that is probably the only good thing to come of it.We have our first tee-ball game this Saturday in Sedley. I think Nathan is more excited to dress up in a uniform than he is wanting to play the game. Coaching this age has really taught me patience I didn't think I had. I am so used to coaching middle and high schoolers, but with this group I feel like I am constantly teaching them to pay attention to what is going on. It's probably going to be the longest hour and fifteen minutes of my life Saturday. :)

Nottoway celebrated dress up as a clown day last Friday. His teacher said he kept it on for about 20 minutes until he complained it was itching him.

The early garden is cranking. The garden peas are about 4 inches tall, potatoes, onions, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale, spinach and beets are in the ground. Looking forward to planting the flower garden at the end of the month!

2011-03-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

My little Miss AnnaBelle Farrar celebrated her 3rd birthday at home this past Saturday. It was a nice family get together and both kiddies are still playing hard with the new toys.

She's wearing her glasses regularly, now. But yesterday morning when I walked downstairs I found them, one stem badly bent, on the couch, and she was nowhere to be found. I couldn't believe that I was able to bend them back. Whew!! We're going to get a back up pair in the next couple of weeks.

The weather this week has been like winter. We had sleet over the weekend and rain into yesterday morning. I headed north to the dental school and pancreatitis clinic at VCU/MCV and there was such an electric mood around the medical campus. The dental school was decked out in black and gold and balloons exclaiming, "Final Four Bound". That game against Kansas was one of the best I have seen in a long while! Looking forward to the game, Saturday.

Nathan is learning how to shoot the 410 in anticipation of spring turkey hunting season. Va Youth Hunt is this Saturday. He and Daddy George are ready!

This blow up basketball was a birthday gift to AnnaBelle from my Dad. We have had tons of fun playing with this, laughing one evening until both of them had the hiccups.

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn

2011-03-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

I could just kiss that dirty little face. She got her new glasses today and when we got home and outside to play she took everything in, glancing up and down and all around taking in what she has missed since....who knows? I am feeling some serious "mother guilt" especially when I looked through her glasses and got extremely dizzy. I am so thankful to God above that she can now see clearly. She fell asleep with them on tonight.

The chickens have arrived! We bought them yesterday, 4 hens. We're hoping to get a rooster later in the week. They have already laid 3 eggs.

My future astronauts!

I am coaching Nathan's tee-ball team this year. They had so many sign up that they had to make 2 teams. I'm having a great time teaching them basic skills and learning in the process. Learning that I have more patience than I thought! I wish I could recruit a couple of more coaches (parents) to help out. Terry and I will give it our best shot once game time starts.

The warmer weather has ushered in spring. And there is a horrible rumor that we'll return to winter next week with a chance of snow in the northern part of the state----oh the humanity!

The Waiting Game and the Globetrotters

2011-03-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

I'm a lover of nature, as a steadfast Taurus I have a love of its beauty and its bounty. And this time of year always leaves me impatient. We're able to plant early crops like potatoes, spinach and garden peas. But we have to wait on the bedding plants like broccoli, collards and lettuce.

So we wait a few weeks and then we'll plant them but like this little girl I am ready to dig in the dirt. I've been reading up on Apiculture and am hoping to start my hives next spring. I want to take a class this summer/fall and I have a lead on a mentor in the area who can readily help me out. I want to harvest the honey and in turn the pollination will help our garden. This year we are planting the entire small garden in flowers, something we have never done before in an effort to attract more bees of which we lacked last year. When I am ready next early spring I'll purchase around 60,000 new bees from a farm in Roanoke to start my hive.

Pizza Night at Woodland was this past Saturday. They always love this meal and any meal that they can participate in making.

And Sunday Nathan and I saw the Harlem Globetrotters at the Ted Constant Center in Norfolk. The last time I saw them was in 1972 and they consisted of the infamous Meadowlark Lemon and Curly and they capitivated me with the ball handling skills while "Sweet Georgia Brown" echoed in the background. We had great seats and they interacted with Nathan and other kids sitting near him.

Now there are 4 teams and in addition to the show held in Norfolk Sunday, they had another show in Charlottesville, Raleigh and Atlanta. They were entertaining and we had a great time, but I think we had more fun running through the sheets of rain back to the parking garage. We looked like a couple of drowned rats when we got into the truck.

Another Milestone

2011-03-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Where has the time gone?

She'll be 3 in 26 more days.

And today I signed her up for preschool in the fall.

Don't let that grin fool you.

Good luck Wakefield UMC Preschool. This one is going to "rock your world".

Waiting for the Warmth

2011-02-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

We planted red potatoes, garden peas and spinach over the holiday weekend. The rugrats were anxious to play in the dirt after it was tilled.

And maybe even taste some. I guess it must have tasted pretty good judging from that face.

It was in the 70's for a couple of days but today it is struggling to get past 37 degrees.

A rollercoaster ride of temps. I have waited on putting away the heavy winter stuff because you never know. For the last 2 years we have had snow in March, so we won't put away the Carhart's just yet!

I'm toiling over getting a new camera. I want a SLR and am trying to decide between a Canon Rebel or a Nikon. Decisions, decisions, decisions, so many to choose from and don't even get me started on the lenses. Whichever one I choose I look forward to adding more memories in print!

What a Ham!

2011-02-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day was a hit around here. Plenty of chocolate eaten and plenty to still eat. George cooked a wonderful dinner for the family and got me 2 new charms for my Bauble LuLu bracelet.
Pssst...wanna know a secret? This here is lighter wood and it's found in the forest. It's used to start fires like the one that is inside the smoking barrel. Nathan's Daddy showed him where to find it in the woods, and he can find it quickly now.

It's ham smoking time! We used to do it from stage one, buying the meat from NC, taking it home and laying it out, then dumping numerous bags of salt over the top of them. Coating them like it was syrup on a dry pancake. Now we buy them already salted so all we have to do is hang and smoke them with hickory and occasionally apple wood.

We put up 14 hams last week. They are already in the bag when we get them from the local ham company. Southeastern Virginia and the Smithfield area are known for their hams. We are too. We eat them at family gatherings, give them to friends,raffle them off at charities and put them in silent auctions at our reunions in WV. After a couple of days of smoking last week we'll smoke them once a week until mid-March. Then "leave 'em be," as the old folks say. We'll probably take one down and cook it in July.

" We've been blessed with some warm weather lately. It has been such a cold winter and anything above 40 degrees feels like a heat wave to me. We're still getting rid of chest colds and stomach viruses that have plagued the farm and practically the whole Commonwealth. I kept Nathan home yesterday because of a night of coughing. He was feeling better today so I sent him off to school.

Little Miss Priss found an old Sony Walkman in a drawer so I put some headphones on her and she walked around the house stopping to dance every few minutes when she heard a beat she liked. Remember when these were the rage? Or trying to jog with one? This one has a cd player so I put a Shrek II music cd in it and it was a hoot watching her face when she recognized a song.

OK Bring On The March Madness!

2011-02-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

We had a slight warm up yesterday so we headed outside. The basketball court was too wet to play on...

He's looking forward to playing baseball this spring. Sign-ups are near the end of the month. Yesterday he dressed up as a football player, Optimus Prime and Batman. The football player was to prep for watching the super bowl and when they showed the trailer for the new Transformers 3 movie, Optimus made his presence known throughout the house, tumbling, running and quickly changing from truck to autobot.

Little Miss Priss wanted to ride Nathan's bike yesterday. I put her on a smaller one and pushed her down the driveway a couple of times until she spotted her 4-wheeler and quickly abandoned ship on me.

We ate at Kyoto's in Chesapeake Friday night with my sis and bro in law. Nathan enjoyed the teppanyaki-style steakhouse show as you can see!

Today report cards come home. I'm sure he's progressing right along but may need to follow directions a little better and maybe try to sit still a little longer. Things little 6 year old boys find so hard to do.

We're getting hams and side meat for the smokehouse tomorrow!

Baking up Sweetness and Memories Early in February

2011-02-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today we made a few batches of homemade cinnamon rolls. The recipe is from http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/. Ree Drummond makes some of the most delicious food on this planet and her recipes are quickly becoming the stuff of legends!

This was my first attempt at using dry active yeast and though I was a bit hesitant, with the kids helping me I got caught up in their excitement to participate and it was a memorable afternoon.

AnnaBelle jumped right in and couldn't wait to use the rolling pin. I used a quarter of the recipe and put the rest in the refrigerator for later. Nathan wanted to ride his motorcycle so it was just the girls for the first go-around.

While she went down for a nap it was Nathan's turn. Doesn't he look excited? Seriously he did enjoy himself, he's just upset that he couldn't beat the dough with the rolling pin, or flip it up in the air like a pizza. Another time, son.

After rolling up the butter, cinnamon and sugar we sliced the roll, put them in the pans and into the oven.

I coated them with a homemade cream cheese frosting after I took them out of the oven. The kids and I almost finished a whole pan. We made 5 batches and I left dough in the refrigerator for 2 more batches. A few people are going to enjoy these delicious surprises tomorrow!

Dodging Colds and the Dreaded Flu

2011-01-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

We've been hanging loose at Woodland. Getting over colds and stomach bugs and trying to get outside on the warmer days. I am washing my hands madly because so far I have been able to stay sick-free. After a week of a chest cold Nathan decided to throw up very early this morning and so far I am thinking it was something he ate. He hasn't been sick since 7 a.m. He's looking forward to fox hunting with his Daddy and friends tonight.

He missed most of the week sick with a head and chest cold but was able to make it the last 2 school days of the week. It took forever to get his temperature down and since they have taken the only medicine that worked for him (Children's Motrin) I have not found one that is equivalent so I am experimenting with various drug store brands. Walgreens is our first guinea pig.

The little man helped his Daddy out in the kitchen by making the cornbread mix. He loves to help out and I love the fact that his Daddy is teaching him valuable skills he can use one day to impress a girl....hey it's how I fell in love with his Daddy! I know, I know, I am so lucky to have a man that loves to cook and is good at it. I did it right the second time, baby!

I was reading some of my journals and realized that the jonquils will be blooming in a few weeks. It's always the tell-tale sign to me that spring is not far off.

We'll be putting up hams and side meat in the smokehouse next week. That is an interesting process and one I will document. Though we're not going to salt our own hams (a longer process) you'll get the gist of how it's done in the country.

Sunsets At Woodland

2011-01-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

Is That Possum Playing Dead?

2011-01-16T17:51:00.000-08:00

Our pet possum Beauregard spent the night in the trash can again. We found him asleep this morning and I snapped this pic before we let him out.

And a cute little kitty cat showed up, too!

We've been keeping ourselves bottled up inside around here on these cold days, so it was nice to get out this past weekend.

And now that "S" word is being thrown around again for the coming weekend. This little guy would love to see some more snow so he could sled around the farm. Me, I love its beauty but I have had my fill this winter!

Hello 2011!

2011-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

This was the last picture I took in 2010. A gorgeous sunset on the farm. So many sunsets and sunrises over the past year and many milestones reached.

Nathan graduated from preschool and entered kindergarten in the fall. AnnaBelle is becoming a little chatterbox and is asserting her independence. My kiddies are growing up so I don't mind if 2011 takes it's sweet time to unfold!

The snow really melted today. It reached a high of 58, an inveritable heat wave around here.

We're all ready to see the white stuff go for awhile, and I am ready for him to get back to school and into a routine, again.

So GOODBYE 2010, its been fun while it lasted, we've experienced so many adventures and we're looking forward to what 2011 brings to us on the hill at Woodland!

Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a video of the kiddies coming down the stairs on Christmas morning.

White Christmas

2010-12-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

WOW! That's all I could say when I awoke Sunday morning to this. And the majority of the snow was just starting to fall.

We ended up with 13 inches on the farm and some drifts were as high as 20 inches or more.

These are everywhere around the house and all I can hear in my head is Ralphie's Mom from "A Christmas Story" telling him how dangerous they are. And believe me they are. I had George knock down the ones hanging over the back door.

Little man had a nice Christmas bittersweet today when he found out his great grandmother, Big Grandma passed away at the age of 95. He cried when I told him and then we talked about how much she must be enjoying heaven. This boy will always and forever have my heart.

Miss AnnaBelle wasn't too keen on this amount of snow. She couldn't walk around and when she would fall she couldn't get up so to her it's an inconvenience.

Christmas Eve Is Finally Here!

2010-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Oh happy day! CHRISTmas Eve is here and tonight the big red man drops down the chimney!
These two are super excited. AnnaBelle is understanding Christmas and tonight I will read them "The Christmas Story" and explain the true meaning of this season.

We attempted a gingerbread house. It collapsed about 10 minutes into it so we just decided to eat it! :) We gave it a gallant effort with George and I laughing madly trying to keep the walls up.

I'm really going to miss Ernie when he goes back tonight with Santa. The children have been so cute each morning running to find him. Nathan has taken to telling him secrets and AnnaBelle can finally say his name correctly. I am glad we started this tradition this year.

The sunrise of another morning. We still have snow on the ground in some places and they are calling for us to get some more snow this weekend.

I sure hope it snows because these two can't get enough of it right now. I can't wait to see their faces tomorrow morning when they get to see the loot Santa brought them! Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope it finds you close to family and friends, sharing happiness and joy and creating new memories!

Anticipation....It's Making Me Wait!

2010-12-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

We had another snowfall during the past week that started Nathan's Christmas break 2 days early. I caught him heading to the hill to sled in this outfit. Doesn't he look just like a little elf whose lost his toy bag? I absolutely LOVE this picture and can't wait to put it in a frame.

It looks like a white Christmas will occur this year. With the temps for the coming week only reaching the 40's on some days, snow will still be on the ground. There is also a chance of snow Christmas Eve.

They look forward to this as soon as the snow falls and could do it all day long. I rode for a little while and had a blast!

This is a typical evening cooking dinner at Woodland. Chef George whips us up so many good meals each and every day. There is an abundance of activity going on in this pic. What you can barely see to the bottom right is Miss AnnaBelle's rumpus plopped down on the chair next to the sink washing her play dishes. Nathan is entertaining everyone with a mask (notice the spurs on the boots-at must!) George is gabbing with Lord knows who and Miss Ellie is stretched out on the floor asleep. And me? The one behind the camera and the person who attempts to organize this gang, and I love every minute of it! ♥♥♥♥

Nathan and his Daddy took a trot through the woods this afternoon and spotted 4 gobblers. His anticipation for Santa's arrival is making him bounce off the walls. I was glad he was able to get out and roam through the woods for a couple of hours. It must have worked because he wanted to take a nap. We will definitely do the same thing Christmas Eve!

Walking In A Winter Wonderland!

2010-12-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

It started snowing around 5 this morning and didn't stick until a couple of hours later. Nathan went to school and I bet he can't wait to come home and play in it!

One of my favorite ceramic trees that George's mom made. The house is decorated with the exception of the tree. We got it yesterday and it's drying in the barn since we've had rain and now snow since Friday.

I added street lights to the village this year. AnnaBelle is fascinated with it and everytime we are in the music room I must pick her up so she can see the lights. How could you not want to shrink in size and take a stroll around the town!

The wet weather is hampering my pecan gathering. I think I am officially addicted to shelling them, yep I'm slightly weird....well some may think more than slightly! ;) I'm looking forward to making some fudge and pecan treats this week for Nathan's teachers!

Daddy and daughter headed back home after working in the yard late last week. She's napping now and can hardly wait to go outside and play in the snow. Forecasters are calling for another storm this weekend. The cold weather has a grip on us for awhile!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-04T06:53:00.000-08:00

We pulled out a majority of the decorations this past week and I've been busy putting them everywhere! Each year it seems to be more....stuff. AnnaBelle has rearranged everything to suit her taste. She tried to yank down these bows when we were gathering pecans one day.

The latter part of the week was spent at the ER and the orthopedic surgeon's office. Nathan and his Daddy were wrestling on the floor when Nathan took a leaping jump on George, got his arm tangled in his Daddy's feet and...the damage was done. I don't know who feels worse, George or Nathan. We went to the ER Thursday and they put it in a soft cast. Friday we saw Dr. Patel and he diagnosed a bruised elbow and strained ligaments. He has to wear another soft cast until Tuesday of next week. Do you know how hard it is to keep a 6 year old boy still? Don't bother answering it physically cannot be done. But I did my best and after a few days of him adjusting to it, it's still impossible to keep him still. They gave me Tylenol 3 to give him. I call it his "ugly attitude" medicine. It makes him extremely irritable. I switched to his Motrin when he told me he didn't have anymore pain.

My little dish fairy and her sidekick showed up to do the dishes (pre-wrestling injury)

This is AnnaBelle's favorite evening ritual before dinner now.

The weatherman is calling for snow tonight. An alberta clipper is making its way through the region, but it's still uncertain how much if any we will recieve. Nothing could top last year's accumulation, or could it? I thought this was a La Nina year? One thing about the weather in southeastern Virginia, if you don't like it, wait about 10 minutes.

Icicles are going up today. *fingers crossed* I have done all of the kiddies Christmas shopping online and it has already been delivered and hidden well. They are going to have such a great one this year. AB is getting her first Little Tikes basketball goal and Nathan is getting a pitching machine and an electric guitar, along with so much other stuff I can't wait to play with myself. I think I am going to regret that electric guitar choice a few days after Christmas. Stay tuned to find out about that one.

Giving Thanks and Being Thankful Always

2010-11-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

No that isn't snow, it's leftover cotton in the front field. We've been gathering what pecans have fallen off my "money" tree, but there are still so many left to fall way way up there. We've shook every branch within an arm or ladder's reach. It's now time to move on to the smaller ones, just have to run the blower to remove the leaves. The smaller type are very good and perfect for decoration. George might have me a lead on a woman who can use them for decorative baking. It has been a profitable year for my pecans.

We celebrated Nathan's birthday a week early and had a bowling party in Franklin. It was a wonderful afternoon, everyone had a great time and it was the first time many of these kids had ever bowled, including Nathan. They gave me a party coordinator and she was spectacular. I didn't have to do a thing but sit back and take pictures. She helped them bowl, brought them their food, helped them with a pinata and was worth every penny. What an asset she is to the bowling center. If you choose to have a kids bowling party and live locally, do it here and ask for Wendy as your coordinator.

He wanted a bowling cake to stay with the theme. Farm Fresh made a nice cake. He is turning 6 and I still find myself in shock at how quickly time flies. But I'm savoring every minute of it, that's for sure!

These 2 along with my hubby are my reason for waking each day despite some days of uncertainty. They give me that added boost of "go juice" to make mr. pancreas behave himself.

He's only acted up a few times this year and for that I am forever grateful. November is Pancreatic Cancer and Diseases Awareness Month and our ribbon is purple, our band states "courage". Research is lacking but we are making progress in awareness.

Another Thanksgiving is upon us and again we gather with family to enjoy good company and food. 2010 has been an interesting year. Many milestones were reached; Nathan graduated from preschool and entered kindergarten and AnnaBelle found her voice, opinion and independence within our household. So this Thanksgiving when there is so much uncertainty in the world, I know for certain that I am blessed everyday beyond belief.

November's Arrival

2010-11-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. The pecans are plentiful this year, too. I am shelling a few pounds a day and of course there are others in the house who enjoy them, too, so I have to stand guard sometimes!

Once I shell them I lay them out on the dining room to table to dry out some. I've made a few batches of cinnamon and sugar baked pecans but they don't last long.

Her favorite phrase right now, "No Mommy!" She is becoming more fiercely independent daily and testing her boundaries with me constantly. I have a feeling it's going to be that way for the unforeseeable future. Bring it on, this is what I signed up for, albeit later in life, but that just makes it sweeter!

Ah the infamous washout. Since they picked the cotton Nathan and AB have been on riding adventures around the farm with their Daddy. This is their favorite stop. With the deluge of rain we had a month or so ago, a washout has been created at the back of the field near the house. The kiddies love playing in the sand, it almost looks like he's sitting on a beach.

He's caught a cold that has kept him home today and probably tomorrow. Trying to keep the temp down and he has a horrible sounding cough. A rub down with Vics tonight and some nighttime cough med and he was out early. Sure hope he is feeling better tomorrow.

Trick or Treat Cubed!

2010-10-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

WOW!! A three day weekend of candy. That is what these 2 hooligans have and will experience by the end of the weekend. We went downtown last night to the local businesses who handed out candy and then to the church parking lot where congregation members held trunk or treating in their parking lot. They have been on a sugar high since Nathan's school party Friday afternoon.

The past week has seen almost 3 inches of much needed rain. The pecans are falling everywhere and I am gathering them daily.

This is one of my pecan gatherers. She loves to pick up pecans, branches, leaves and cotton to put in the bucket. It's all the same to her, and no she is not secretly giving me the finger. This is actually how she points at everything. It's incredibly awkward when we're out shopping and she spots something by flipping the bird.

We've put the fire pit to use a couple of times. Walmart had these huge marshmallows which are probably the equivalent of 4 regular ones. They were sooooo good!!

It's hard to believe that the month of October is almost over. Nathan keeps reminding us that his birthday month is coming up. We're planning a bowling party with his classmates. His birthday officially falls on Thanksgiving Day, he was born on a Thanksgiving Day in '04. I find it hard to believe he'll be 6!! In the blink of an eye my little guy is growing up and learning more and more each day.

Another Week on the Move!

2010-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday parents were allowed to eat lunch with their children. Nathan was excited to see AB and I so we sat and talked and briefly ate. After 15 minutes he became bored with the 2 of us and started playing with his buddy Joey. We left with them karate chopping each other in line. Kindergarten teachers should be paid more.....oh the patience it demands.....give me middle school anyday.

Any guesses on what this is? I found it in the implement shed, George hipped me to what it was once used for and I wonder how many times it was used.....I am guessing too many to count!

Nathan a.k.a Cowboy Dude. This is his latest persona and he plays it well. The feather in the cap is from a turkey! He found it in the woods when he and his Daddy went scouting deer.

Ahhhhh my glorious pecan trees are producing overtime this year. Some of the trees that have not produced in the past are producing this year. Alas, I will be looking forward to working triple overtime getting these shelled and packaged for delivery all over the U.S. Look for them on Ebay in the next few weeks!!

It was our 11th anniversary today. We celebrated by going out to eat together at Outback. The in-laws came over to watch the kiddies. AB took a nap the entire time and Nathan was a good boy. It was so odd getting out just the two of us. I can count on one hand how many times we have been able to do something like this since the kids. It's been a while and it was a wonderful day. He got me some more charms for my Bauble LuLu bracelet. I love them and you, hubby!!! Happy Anniversary!!!

A Quick Fortnight!!!

2010-10-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where did the time go? We've been busy at Woodland for the last couple of weeks. Still waiting on those butterbeans to fill out before the frost gets them. A few mornings have been in the low 40's with patchy frost in places.

And we got the fall garden planted adding cabbage, kale, collards, broccoli, romaine and iceberg lettuce. Little Miss Priss loves her leafy vegetables, that and yogurt are her current staples. It's a struggle to get her to eat, but in the last few days I have noticed an increase in appetite, asking for seconds. She is nothing like her brother who would eat cardboard if you put butter on it.

They should be spraying the defoilage on the cotton soon, then it really puffs out, and the smell ....
It's a distinct odor and one I'm hoping won't linger long. My kids would stay outside all day if I let them. In due time, kiddies, right now I don't want you straying too far out of my eyesight.

Laughter and love filled the farm this past Saturday. George and I hosted a homecoming bbq for my Chowan alumni friends. It was so much fun and we had a picture perfect day for it. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see old friends and their families. We have decided to make it a yearly event.

The golf cart was a huge hit along with the 4-wheeler. The BBQ and desserts were off the chain! I am still eating cookies left over. We have thrown a few parties since moving here in 2000. This one had to be the most memorable simply for the fact that everyone had a smile on their face and the beautiful sound of laughter from the many children echoed across the fields. I can't wait until next year!

Autumn in My Heart

2010-09-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! Shoe Carnival was having a sale on Converse hi-tops last week and I just couldn't resist.
I told Nathan on the way home from school that I had bought him a pair and he couldn't wait to put them on. In fact he wore them that evening with his pajamas. I think he would have slept in them if I had let him.

The harvest moon appeared last Thursday and it was a beautiful sight. I took this shot from the garden overlooking the cotton field. I'm ready for some cool nights and days and the changing of the leaves, but especially sitting around the fire pit with my family eating marshmallows!

Time to pull out the Halloween decorations and I didn't realize how many treaures we have accumulated until they emerged from their hiding places. M-i-l made this cute pumpkin years ago for us and it lights up. AnnaBelle has lifted the top off of it at least a hundred times. Shaky, shaky, shaky.......meyhem is everywhere.

My beanbag pumpkin sat there for about.......5 minutes before she swiped him up and toted him around for the day. Notice the chocolate face courtesy of a Quaker Oats Chocolate bar.

Ah yes, my beautiful blue-eyed son lost his first tooth Saturday morning! His Daddy plucked it out after he loosened it most of the day before at school. This is a pic of us on the tall ferris wheel at the State Fair of Virginia. We spent a wonderful fun-filled day there the past Saturday. It was hot but the rides were COOL! Nathan was tall enough to ride a majority of them and he did. I ate my first fried oreos and it won't be the last time. They were out of this world delicious!

As Days Go By

2010-09-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

They'll soon be spraying the cotton plant and combining the white stuff. It's so pretty growing and even prettier on a moonlit night in a few weeks when the moon casts its light down on the field and it looks like snow.

He is always on the go. Now that his foot reaches the pedal we've allowed him to drive the golf cart around the farm. He is still learning what to NOT run in to; toys scattered on the ground, cars, trucks and baby sisters.

School is still an adjustment for the little guy. He has managed to stay consistently in the green (which is a warning) and we discuss the infractions. I'm taking the wait and see approach. I think in time he'll get it.

Our mornings consist of hunting through the butterbean vines in hopes of finding enough filled out to pick. We have not received any rain as of late, and next week doesn't look any better. This year's garden was one of our worst ever......

Little Miss Priss and her dress from her Godmother. Isn't it just gorgeous? I love the outfits she picks out, she has such great taste! AnnaBelle couldn't wait to put it on this afternoon and venture outside!

I Feel The Need, The Need For Speed!

2010-09-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

Miss AnnieB loves to swing. She loves to go higher and higher and faster and faster.

Say hello to her new hammydown. Nathan's old 4-wheeler. Since he got a Razor electric dirt bike this past spring, he hasn't ridden his 4-wheeler at all. AnnaBelle hopped up on it the other day and took off! Her feet just reach the pedal if she sits right. I couldn't believe her steering ability. She would ride in between parked vehicles and other obstacles around the farm steering as if it was just a ride in the park! She'll be 2 and a half in a couple of months, Danica Patrick look out!

♫ The future's so bright........I gotta wear shades.....I gotta wear shades! ♫

My little daredevil.

Ch-Ch-ch-ch-changes--Turn and Face the Strange

2010-09-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

He's already asking for his "old life" back. When he didn't have the rules, the standing in line with your finger on your lips in the "hush" position, or sitting criss cross applesauce during storytime, and not being able to talk when you want to. "I wanna go back Mama, I don't want to grow up."

This was the face of anticipation on the first morning of kindergarten. He is so eager in the morning to go and even though it's been a tough 2 days for him learning what he can and can't do, he has awaken each morning looking forward to his classroom.

George and I are new to parenthood and when he came home the first day in the yellow we gave him a firm talking on behaving in class. The next day when he was in the yellow again we decided to unplug his lifeline....the television. Last night he sat in his bed reading a book and telling me he hated school. I don't want him to hate it already 3 days into it, so I told him of all the new skills he'll be learning and how school will shape him into the confident young man we know he'll become. "How many more years of school, Mama?" "Until you're 18 son." "Mama that's forever." I hope it does go by slow so I can savor every minute of it!

Now that school is back in this little girl knows she has me all to herself most of the day. She keeps me entertained by dancing and singing to any music she hears, but she is especially fond of the Black Eyed peas and DJ Lance.

Milestones were reached this week and I was a trooper when I dropped Nathan off the first day and didn't cry until I got into the truck to go home. It's bittersweet because he is no longer my child, he is on his way to finding his independence and voice in this crazy world. God bless his journey!

Last Days of August

2010-08-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

BUBBLE TIME!!! One of her favorite activities when we are gathered on the front porch. After dinner in the evenings we'll hang out on the porch, me on the swing with George, watching the children run up and down the lane. It allows them to get rid of the energy they have left and allows the grown-ups to wind down and talk about the day.

We went back to Busch Gardens last Thursday and it will probably be the last visit of the summer since our passes run out the 6th of Sept. We certainly enjoyed our trips over the spring and summer and can't wait to do it again! We'll be back for Christmas Town in December, guarantee it!

Our hummingbirds will be leaving in a month or so. They have added such beauty to the farm. This year we had more hummingbirds than ever and I have photographed more of them than ever, too. My interaction with the one I found on the floor in the shack a few months ago has me wondering which one it was I helped. But one in particular always flies up to the kitchen window and hovers to look inside at us before eating.

Getting Miss Priss to pose for a picture is a chore in itself. She doesn't like the camera and runs when I take it out. But I will NOT give up and am determined to get her used to it.

This morning I made a batch of pear preserves. George got these cute little 4 oz jars at the local store. They are the perfect size for gift giving. I have a fig tree in the front of the chicken coop and the figs are ready for picking so I think I'll make some fig preserves this week.

Head West Young Man

2010-08-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last week's rain had us pulling out the crafts during the day. I am so grateful for the rain because we are desperately in need of the wet stuff. The butterbeans are hanging but haven't filled out yet. When they do there will be plenty to pick. So rest up kiddies, you're gonna need it!

We attended the 103rd Parsons Family reunion in WV over the weekend. We stayed at the Canaan Valley Resort and Lodge and even though it was a short trip we had a great time.

It was nice to meet and greet relatives from Iowa, Wyoming, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Va and WV. I was elected family historian, again and hope I can do as good a job as Kathy. She did ALL of the hard work and research producing 3 volumes of genealogy from the Potomac region. Now I just have to add births, deaths and marriages and try to answer the ton of questions asked by relatives. We are so fortunate to be able to trace our ancestry all the way back to when the Parsons's first came to America in the 1600's.

Every year we go I find a piece of me not wanting to leave. The rugged beauty of the West Virginia mountains is so inviting. We crossed 3 mountain chains to arrive in Tucker Co. and after twisting and turning on mountain roads for a couple of hours the land opens up into a beautiful valley of green lush. This 9 hole golf course is located at the fairgrounds where we hold the reunion. We're thinking of going back in February to snowboard and ski, I think the kids will love it!

Hot August Daze

2010-08-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

My sister, Mary bought the kiddies the CUTEST costumes from the Disney Store. Toy Story's Woody and Jesse. They have dressed up several times since receiving them last week. Nathan had a Woody suit that was from the first movie and it was VERY small, but he wore it anyway not caring if the sleeves rode up to his elbows. When he put the new suit on his face broke out into a huge smile. SEE?

School shopping for Nathan's first year is DONE! I couldn't believe the items I had to purchase; coffee filters, Lysol spray, Clorox wipes, tissues and paper towels, (2) boxes of baby wipes liquid soap (2) bottles of hand sanitizer, ziplock bags (gallon and quart)....have we gotten to the actual school supplies yet? Oh ok, here we go...(12) glue sticks, 3 boxes of crayons, a box of pencils, (2) packages of index cards, (2) spiral bound notebooks, pencil erasers, dry erase markers, a book bag, a napping mat and blanket......he and the school should be WELL prepared.

The recipe for making watermelon rind pickle. I made another batch yesterday and got the thumbs up from the boys.

This is what the rind looks like after the final boil in clear water. After I rinsed them off I put them into the syrup concoction on a low boil for almost 2 hours. Watermelon rind is an old southern delicacy and something you usually see out on the table during the holidays. I had never tried it until I met George almost 20 years ago. It has a wonderful sweet taste with a touch of vinegar and combined with pork or a chicken dish it almost cleanses the palate. We have plenty and if you're interested in purchasing a pint-sized jar, I'll be selling them for $8.00/plus shipping and handling. Just notify me by email, FB or blogger.

In 3 weeks your whole world will change my little man. Oh the places you will go!

Thanking God for the Rain

2010-08-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I put up 12 pints of watermelon rind last week. I used one of our jubilee watermelons from the garden. Nathan tried it and came back for seconds. I think I am going to make one more batch.

We received 3 inches of rain over a 2 day period last week. Yes, yes thank you God. Our butterbeans are eternally grateful. Nathan picked me these beautiful flowers from one of our daily trips down to the garden. He always surprises me with flowers from around the farm.

I met an old friend and her son at the Aquarium one day last week. It was good to see her again and she has a beautiful boy the same age as AnnaBelle and he was so well behaved. Nathan took advantage of every assistant he could find to explain the attractions. I love that about him. He's not bashful to speak up and absorbs everything he learns.

And I made the big mistake of leaving her stroller so she had full reign of the place and believe me she took advantage of it! In a mere split second she would be gone and then I would hear, "Mommy where are you?" and immediately she would take off again. Yes she kept me on my toes and I have a feeling she will always keep me on them! I was worn out at the end of the day and they slept the entire trip home.

I absolutely love this age because her personality is starting to emerge and I have noticed she is particular about certain things. She doesn't like her food to touch and her fork has to be cleaned with a napkin before she will eat yet she will smear a chocolate quaker oats bar in her hand and lick it off. Go figure.

Monday Morning

2010-08-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

I participated in my high school reunion basketball game over the weekend and I am still feeling it this morning! I thought it was going to be my back that would give me trouble after throwing it out the first of the week opening the hot tub cover for Nathan. I couldn't walk straight for 3 days and was thinking of not going. By Thursday I could stand straight up and there was just a dull pain at the base of my tailbone so I muddled through and played 3 quarters on Saturday and nearly kissed the wall on one bad pass. It was alot of fun though, and I enjoyed playing competively again.

Nathan went with me and made some new friends. When we came home he wanted me to push him on the swing before the sun went down. He could do this all day.

School will be starting in a few weeks and he is very excited to meet his new teacher and classmates. I'm excited for him, too because I can still recall my first year of kindergarten at the Mennonite Church in Newport News in 1971. Mrs. Buckwalters was my teacher and she made it so much fun!

My little watermelon princess. She loves the stuff. We spent last weekend down on the river digging for sharks teeth and found some nice ones. A perfect one for me to make a necklace with and some whalebone.

The hummingbirds are still going crazy around the farm. Gosh they're so beautiful!

And the Beat Goes On......

2010-07-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

I had my 6 month checkup at MCV yesterday. With the kiddies in tow we left early for the capital city in hopes of being seen earlier. But in fact we were seen later.....much later...about an hour later. I came prepared with the ds's, coloring books, snacks and the coupe de grace...balloons to play with when we made it back to the examining room. Dr. S told me what I had already confirmed in my head, my pancreas has stopped producing enzymes. I've had pancreatitis for over 10 years now and the poor thing has finally puttered out. It did give a good fight, though, and the one golden lining in this disease is that my acute attacks that land me in the hospital will not be as frequent, but a constant, dull pain will take it's place. Luckily my meds handle this pain. Since the pancreas is not producing enzymes I will have to take enzyme pills with every snack and meal from now on and watch my blood sugar levels because diabetes will be setting in. I have already noticed symptoms of that, yet I only remain in the pre-diabetic stage right now. Whew....

Wednesday we took the ferry across the river to Busch Gardens. The kiddies are starting to become familiar with the layout now, but we discovered The Land of Dragons near Oktoberfest and spent most of the afternoon there. I have such a deep love for BG having practically spent most of my childhood summers at the park. Some of my older sisters and brothers worked there back in the 70's and 80's so we got alot of free passes and took full advantage of them.

My little man is getting so big and right before my eyes. He can hardly wait to be 44" so he can ride more of the rollercoasters. Each time we go he runs to the measuring booth to see if he has grown any taller in the last week!

Superman paid a visit to the house the other day hair slicked back and all! He has been begging for some hair gel and finally reminded me in Walmart. He told me to make sure and put a curl in the middle. That hair gel is some serious sticky stuff and holds like nobody's business!

The past week has seen record breaking temps in our region with highs over 100 degrees. And in addition we have still not received any measurable rainfall. My poor garden is wilting away. We are going to drain one of the wells tomorrow morning and soak the butterbeans.

You Say Tomato.....Well Me Too!

2010-07-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

These are the smallest tomatoes we have ever grown on the farm. It has been a very dry summer and though they are plentiful, sweet and delicious, they're just.......small.

Nathan and AnnaBelle helped me pick them. Nathan did a good job, but AnnaBelle is still learning her colors and LOVES to pick the green ones.

After a quick sit in the hot boiling water they peeled off so easily and were so full of meat they looked like little tangerines.

I decided to just chop them up and place them in freezer bags. We have plenty of freezer space but not much shelf space in our house. My dream kitchen will one day have limitless shelf space along with a big island workspace. Ahhhh one day, folks, one day.

I put up six quarts of tomatoes from about three-quarters of the ones sitting on the table. Some were just too small to boil and deal with so we'll use them on sandwiches and in salads. Oh I can smell the homemade soups George will be making from these tomatoes this fall! Yummy, yum, yum!

Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon.....In the Summertime!

2010-07-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend at the river digging for sharks teeth and fishing. Nathan caught a nice red throat and a beautiful red eye bass. We cooked out on the grill and THEN it started to crowd up. Usually we take the boat but didn't this trip deciding to stick close to the bridge. We dug for some teeth and found a few chips. All of us are looking forward to going again this Sunday.

Wednesday I took the kiddies to Busch Gardens. Geezy peezy it was a hot day. We stopped at the Sesame Street Forest of Fun first and the kids were greeted by these characters. AB gave everyone a hug several times and also high fived them when they went to seek shelter in the cool AC of a store. I can't blame them, can you imagine having to don one of these on a 95 degree July day in Hampton Roads?

Ye old Fest house in Oktoberfest. The food is still great and I was pleased to see mini-pizzas with fries for the kiddies. I let Nathan pick any dessert he wanted, and of course it was the biggest. He and I ate a quarter of it and I let AnnaBelle eat the whipped cream. That thing is HUGE!!!

We are in the middle of a drought in our region. The last significant rainfall of an inch or more was more than a month ago. We have been getting a few days with a quarter inch of rain, but you can see the damage has already been done to the corn crops. Our butterbeans are still making it. We've been able to utilize one of the several wells we have around the farm. We'll haul the hoses down to the garden and it takes about 3 hours to completely cover both gardens. It has to be done by hand because the pump and pressure are not strong enough to use a sprinkler.

Nathan found a great walking stick on our trip to put our mail in the mailbox. It is so incredibly hot today that we are seeking refuge permanently, inside! Tomorrow is the Pork, Pine and Peanut Festival at Chippokes. Think I'll take the gang out there for a while. They have some of the best bbq I have ever tasted and beautiful crafts from local area merchants.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2010-07-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to snap this picture while busy in the garden. I had just finished picking snaps when I gazed over at the smaller garden to see Nathan and AnnaBelle picking flowers. She was struggling to pick one when her brother told her he would help her. He picked the prettiest one in the row and handed it to her while she told him, "Tink you, Na Na."

The hummingbirds must be breeding again because they have me filling the feeders three times a day. You can walk out on the deck and be buzzed by at least 4. I have never seen as many as we have had this year. And with cotton planted all around the house they will probably be staying a little longer than usual until their flight back to South America.

George had a low key birthday on the 4th. We grilled brats and bbq chicken and relaxed on the farm. The boys went fishing at a local pond and caught quite a few bass and bream. Run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, or can you? Last week's temps were in the high 70's low 80's with no humidity. It was gorgeous weather and we took full advantage of it. Now the temps are record highs with today possibly hitting 103.

What you can't see are her knees which were completely covered in marker. Well, at least she did get more on the paper, or did she? And I was sitting at the computer desk which is right beside this table, totally engrossed in the History ChannelLast night's sunset was spectacular! I especially love the whispy white clouds that are playfully dancing across the sky. Stay cool this week friends!

A Break From the Heat

2010-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite reads right now and it has scared the living hell out of me. Fascism in America during the 1930's? Another reason FDR is one of my heroes. And the possible plan to end American Democracy as we know it? With what is going on in the world today, it's definitely one of those books that make you go hmmm. Yes, Jesse Ventura has opened up a can of worms with this book and if you get a chance to read it I am sure it will change your view of American politics.

This beautiful morning dove has built her nest a mere 10 feet off the ground in our plum tree. The children and I ride, walk and run by this tree daily and she remains oblivious to our comings and goings.

The reason for the delay in blogging has been due to my back breaking work in the garden. But the rewards of the hard labor are paying off and we have enjoyed such bountiful feasts from it. The prized crop, our butter beans, are blooming and I have already spotted several pods hanging. The heat has been oppressive over the last 3 weeks with temps reaching a record 104 this past weekend. The kiddies have been taking advantage of the wading pools and we try to hit my Daddy's pool once a week.

We planted one long row of cucumbers this year and I have already made 2 batches of sweet pickle. Here they are in their last boil just before they go into the jars.

The finished product! Just waiting for chicken, pasta or ham salads. If you're interested in purchasing a quart let me know. $8.00/jar plus shipping and handling. No overseas delivery, sorry!

Life is What Happens to you, While You're Busy Making Other Plans

2010-06-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ah the spirit of adventure is deep in her roots. She rises each day before the sun to gain an advantage over us. While we're still happily sleeping away, AB is busy in her room plotting her strategy on how HER day is going to be. And you better believe it includes time spent outdoors.

Here we have one tired cowboy who had one heck of a day on the farm. He rode his motorcycle (with the Woody attire on) around for several hours in the hot baking sun, ran up and down the garden rows and then there were swimming lessons in the afternoon which completely wiped him out.

I had a true miracle occur over the week. I went to the outside freezer that we keep in a screened in bbq shack separate from the house. There on the concrete floor lay this hummingbird, fluttering awkwardly because he had tied himself up in cobwebs. I placed him in my hand and took him to our feeder. He drank for just a little bit and then I started taking off the webs that were tangled between his feet and wings. He sat there for about 20 minutes and then fluttered his wings, hovering above me for a few seconds then took off to the nearby pecan tree. What an incredible experience!

The garden is crankin'! Butterbeans to the left (with some volunteer watermelon plants) and the cucumbers are on the right. I enjoy my time out there. It's my own little slice of heaven. We'll be picking snaps over the next week and canning my share as well as selling to local friends and grocers. The squash and broccoli have done very well. I put up 6 bags of broccoli. My rugrats love it!

Another gorgeous sunset across the field. I never tire of them and every evening I'll look out the kitchen window to see what beautiful painting God has produced. And I give thanks for the many blessings he has given me.

So Long to May

2010-05-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

My birthday was a special one spent at home with the family unit. Nathan picked out the cake theme and George said he was pretty upset with the cake decorator because they couldn't put a Yankee emblem on it. I received a beautiful bracelet from the kiddies with birthstone beads. It's a Bauble lulu and if you have never heard of it, google it. Their bracelets and beads are gorgeous and well within anyone's price range.

My little man is growing up so quickly and I cannot believe kindergarten starts in the fall!

Our hummingbirds have returned, and they have brough their friends. We have 4 feeders up and they constantly need filling at least twice a day. We even have a yellow one, which I hear is quite rare.

This is my little man graduating from preschool last Tuesday night. I am so glad he was able to experience a christian preschool and I look forward to AnnaBelle attending in the fall of 2011. His teacher this past year has fully prepared him for kindergarten and we were stoked when we got the approval for him to attend the neighboring county's school system.

The garden is plucking along. We put the poles up today for the butterbeans and the cucumbers and have been enjoying squash this past week. Nathan has eaten his share of the spinach and George fixed a wonderful salad with it the other night. Nathan and I are hoping to camp out Monday night if the weather agrees. It's been off and on showers for most of the week which is wonderful for the garden but not for camping out! I'm hoping we'll get a respite for a few days and we can get outside and have fun under the stars!

Mother's Day and Birthday Week

2010-05-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well the tent FINALLY arrived. Target had a much bigger tent at a cheaper price. I don't think I will be purchasing anything from Sears soon. They have really gone downhill in the last 10 years. This tent sleeps 8 and divides into 2 rooms. The screened-in porch was a bonus.

Nathan and I camped out last Thursday night. We watched Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and it didn't take long before he was fast asleep. And what a peaceful sleep it was. I am a huge lover of tents and I hope I pass on that love to Nathan. There is something special about sleeping under the stars and listening to the night sounds of frogs, birds, crickets and all of the other critters that crawl around late in the night. The lightning bugs made an appearance and a coyote howled early in the morning. We awoke to a chilly morning so we snuggled under the blankets until George popped into the tent with breakfast.

I spent a nice Mother's Day with my children, George and the inlaws at the 4H Center for a buffet luncheon. The two of them ran all over the place and it was nice to see folks I haven't seen in quite a while.

I enjoy being a Mother to these two rugrats. They make each day an adventure, whether it's inside building tents and making crafts or outside playing the garden. It's always something new to discover about them each day.

Yes, I am so grateful to be a Mother. It's the toughest job I have ever had, but it is by far the most rewarding.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2010-04-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I took the kids to Busch Gardens. It was such a beautiful day and a very light crowd. Nathan never had to wait in line to get on a ride, and there was so much to explore. I loved the wildlife area which is loaded with different types of birds and butterflies. Isn't he just gorgeous?

The Sesame Street Forest of Fun was a hit. These two splashed through the waterpark until their lips turned blue.

I love this picture. This is a typical evening at our place. That golf cart has provided countless hours of riding enjoyment around the farm. We added the rope swing a few months ago and Nathan has done a good job of breaking it in.

Our garden is growing along!! This is savoy cabbage that seemed to triple in size in a week's time. We put fertilizer down on Monday and were graced with a good shower that evening. George then tilled the garden the next day while Mr. Sunshine did his job and --walla!!

The past 2 mornings it has frosted on the farm. Not a heavy one, patchy in spots. We put the tomato plants in the ground on Sunday and they were protected. I have so many volunteer sunflower plants that need to be transplanted as well as a couple of burpless cucumber plants.

Today we're going to plant our parsley, oregano and basil seeds in dixie cups.

My son brought me 3 roses he picked from the bush out near the old horse barn. I took this picture in the kitchen on top of one of our bar stools. They smell as beautiful as they look.

April Happenings

2010-04-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

A dogwood bloom in the backyard. This tree has been through so much and we were determined to not cut it down when we first moved here 10 years ago, so we have nursed it as much as we can and each year a few more flowers bloom.She has the love for it. I can see it in her eyes every time we head to the basketball court or she sees one of the many balls that are scattered around the backyard.

The garden peas are about 2 inches high and the beets have broken ground too. I'm going to thin them out this week.

If I could bottle the energy produced by these two I would be a zillionaire. Their questions are limitless and the enthusiasm to play outside is only matched by their love of broccoli and that ain't no joke.

Cause Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright

2010-04-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

Today is and will probably always be a tough one. It's been 3 years since my Mom passed on a spring day much like today in the afternoon. I chose to remember everything special about her in my mind in hopes that I wouldn't break down and cry. So many wonderful memories filled my head throughout the day and of course......

The children kept me busy and occupied. George reminded Nathan this morning of today's significance and he came upstairs to the bedroom crying. That carried on to school where he proceeded to cuss out a classmate. His teacher diffused the situation, but it still left a sour note with me and we discussed the incident when we got home. He received his punishment of no television, which devastated him, but I had to do it and stick to it. He has tried several schemes to get me to cut it back on, but I'm not budging. He gave up and went to bed telling me he will never say another cuss word until he is 20.

Yesterday George ploughed the garden and of course my kids had to wallow in it. They think it's better than sand. Our garden peas and beets have broken through the ground. We planted squash and snaps, too.

Dirtball Annie loves the freshly dug earth. She ran the length of the garden several times and sampled a little bit here and there.

We even managed to get in a little soccer. Ellie even joined in on the fun until she popped the ball with one big bite. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Looking forward to putting up the tent this week!! Hope to post some pics of that by the weekend!

Early Days of April

2010-04-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Easter bunny stopped by Woodland on Sunday. Amongst the peep chicks and the reece's cups Nathan got the Optimus Prime JetPower thinga-ma-bob he has been talking about. I found one online from Kmart and it was delivered the Friday before Easter. It makes all kinds of neat sounds and has cool flashing lights.

Miss AnnaBelle understands what the Easter bunny is all about just a little bit better this year. She couldn't believe I was letting her eat candy for breakfast but that is just what I did. Hey, why not let them eat to their hearts content until they don't want anymore. It is very effective if you can survive the sugar rush it gives them.

We planted the garden Monday! Broccoli, spinach, kale, and iceberg lettuce. Tomorrow we're hoping to plant snaps and squash and in the next few days, butter beans! I cannot wait to get BUSY once the pollen has settled down. The last two days have been horrendous. I have never seen such heavy pollen. I am not normally affected but this year it has hit me hard. One of the facts of aging I guess. I can remember Mama not getting her allergies until later in life. I sure have been missing her alot lately and that is one of the reasons I cannot wait to start working hard in the garden. Outside and in nature I feel her presence and it comforts me. When the butterflies go by Nathan will tell me, "There goes Nanny!" It's tough this time of year because that is when she left us, on a sunny spring afternoon on Friday the 13th in April. 3 years and it still hurts, if not more it seems, because I look at these two beautiful miracles of life I have been given and think of what she has missed. She would be spoiling these two beyond belief. I am so glad Nathan was able to experience her love. He remembers so much of the time he spent with her when I would be hospitalized with a flare up. I am grateful for that too, because he told me he will tell AnnaBelle all about her love. :)

Nathan and I went to see How to Train Your Dragon in real d 3D on Saturday and it was a great afternoon. The movie was incredible and if you haven't seen a movie in the new real 3D go! The Woody Allen like glasses deliver an amazing view of truly feeling like you are there and can touch the things in front of you. Several times found me reaching my arm out to catch a leaf or a fallen ash.

Little Miss Priss is lovin' her new bed more and more each day. She especially loves to flop down on it right after I make it. Here she is watching one of her favorite dvd's, Caillou or Wow Wow Wubzy. It's far better than Frosty the Snowman which I have had to endure since early December. I was even letting her watch it in Spanish just to liven it up a bit. I am amazed that she can count to 10 so quickly. When we walk up the stairs she commences the count until 10 is reached. Now we're working on 11 through 20.

AnnaBelle Turns 2!

2010-03-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

We were plenty busy last week, well, maybe me. Shopping for the Easter bunny and getting ready to celebrate Annie's 2nd birthday. She was officially 2 on the 26th and we celebrated with a party on Saturday the 27th.

Yes the past two years have flown by and I have enjoyed every minute of it. From crawling to running, she is one active little girl. She reminds me of a mini-me by picking up any available ball around the house and throwing, kicking or chasing it. And I'm almost certain she is going to be a lefty, too!

We had a princess themed birthday party and I baked a tiered cake and with the help of one of my sisters I think we created a masterpiece. AnnaBelle was very excited to see the cake and sample a taste of it. She received plenty of spring/summer clothes, one gorgeous dress that I cannot wait to take outside pictures of her in when it warms up, a tricycle and lots of books! Miss chatterbox can now tell you she is two! (while holding 2 fingers up)

The moon is almost full and last night while I went out to feed the cats I spied this shot in my camera. The farm bell here at Woodland dates back to the 1800's and came from a bell company out of Ohio. We like to ring it every now and then and it can be heard from quite a distance.

Yes, the saying is true, kids say the darnedest things. Nathan had trouble with his seat belt this afternoon and asked me when he could be old enough to say "sh*t." I was floored and responded, "Never, and don't say it again, try something like oh butter biscuits like we said before." He laughed when I said it and we laughed the rest of the way home. How could you not laugh? And it's not like he hasn't heard it come from both me and George. Oh well, as one friend said, at least he asked.

A Milestone is Reached

2010-03-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

We took down the kiddies crib on Thursday and my heart ached a little. It's actually bittersweet because I am proud of AnnaBelle graduating to a bigger bed, but the crib that has adorned our upstairs for the past 6 years is now sitting in the barn. I remember when I decided on the furniture in '04 after shopping Babys R Us online. It was just what I wanted. It converts to a daybed as well as a toddler bed, but we were lucky to get a full sleigh bed from my Dad and as you can see.....

Little Miss AnnaBelle loves it and the new found freedom that comes with it. Now that she can come and go as pleases I have had to enforce new rules at bedtime. So far she has adjusted but that won't last for long, I'm certain because she tests my every limit.

The warmer weather this week awakened the trees, flowers and honeybees. The blue birds are busily making their nests in the houses and the woodpeckers fill the air with knocking while the mocking birds go through their various calls. We took advantage of the warmth nearly every day and gathered the fallen branches down the lane.

Miss Ellie Mae trotted down the lane with us hoping to find a wayward squirrel and chase it up a pecan tree.

This year I have really felt like a hibernating bear awakening to the change of seasons. This past winter was a record breaker here and we did enjoy the measurable snow we received, but something about spring makes your heart as well as your body warm. An awakening of the senses that is one of life's simple pleasures, and I am so grateful to be sharing it with my beautiful family.

Can you Feel It?

2010-03-10T12:57:00.001-08:00

It's in the air and the smell is why Spring is one of my favorite seasons. I admit I love the smell of dirt. And soon that loamy smell of freshly ploughed earth will fill the farm air.

The local farmer will start on the fields around the farm soon and then he'll run the plough through our garden and add some more rows. George will go back over it with a smaller tractor and then the tiller.

I'm looking forward to digging in the dirt and this little girl enjoys eating a little bit, just a taste to satisfy her little craving of the loamy stuff!

Signs are popping up all over Woodland. A little late this year, in the past 10 years we have been living here these guys usually start blooming the 3rd week in February. But we had a harsh winter this season, with plenty of snow and rain and they have never bloomed this late before.

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead this weekend!

Spring's Anticipation

2010-03-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Nature's first green is gold,
her hardest hue to hold,

her early leaf's a flower,

but only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

so Eden sank to grief,

so dawn goes down today,

nothing gold can stay.

~Robert Frost

Welcoming the Lion Called March

2010-03-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well the magic of the Winter Olympics has come and gone. It was amazing to watch Team USA make such huge advancements in almost every event. We walked away with the most medals won (37) by any country to date. Vancouver to me will be remembered by the awe inspiring performances by an of array of athletes from the USA as well as other countries.

But the most memorable of all performances will be the one displayed by my son. He immediately fell in love with the skiers and snowboarders achieving their daredevil stunts and maneuvers, as well as the devastating wipe outs. They have helped reinforce values I have been teaching him about staying fit, active and the love of competition. I have really enjoyed the costumes and skiing equipment that he has come up with, such imagination!

It was nice to get outside today and walk around the farm. Nathan jumped on the trampoline, AnnaBelle ran around everywhere, and Miss Ellie kept a watchful eye on everyone.

A beautiful bluebird couple has a nest in this birdhouse. In a couple of months I'm sure we'll be hearing the chirps of hungry babies.

This is the calm before the storm. They are calling for a mixed bag of precipitation tomorrow evening into Wednesday. C'mon spring, I am so ready to work in the garden again!

Olympic Fever

2010-02-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

The kiddies can always find something to occupy themselves while inside on cold winter days.

Nathan received the ds game Mario and Sonic Olympic Winter games from Santa and he has been playing it nonstop. That was just the precursor to the XXI Olympic Games in Vancouver. I am a huge Olympic fan winter or summer. And I think I have passed that love on to my son. His teacher is also a fan so they have studied some of the history and the games most notable athletes. In the evenings, Nathan has transformed himself into a world class skier.

This is a sport that he invented called "Rocket Ski Jumping". He put this costume and the landing course together by himself. He has such an imagination and I'll give him credit for such fine form in this landing he is about to hit. Notice The Flying Tomato on the television receiving his gold medal. What an amazing performance by our Team USA athletes, and as of this posting our medal count is at 24....7/7/10...Way to go TEAM USA!

We were blessed with a weekend of temps in the 50s and 60s. A veritable heat wave if you consider the frigid temperatures we have endured over the past month. So with runny noses, including mine, we ventured outside and with the help of a good friend, the trampoline that has inhabited my hallway for 2 months is now assembled and ready for action.

Nathan was extremely cautious at first, but it didn't last long. Soon he started doing flips and twists and turns and really got the hang of it. I even jumped for a little bit and couldn't believe the workout it gives to the thigh and calf muscles. AnnaBelle doesn't care for it right now, but I expect that to change in a few months or so. Right now she is content with letting her older brother have it all to himself.

Punxsutawney Phil was Right

2010-02-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

Phil usually doesn't get it wrong. If you were basing his forecast on the mid-Atlantic region only, then he is 100 percent accurate. We have had snow on the ground since the big storm hit at the end of January.

At first I marveled at its beauty around the farm. The solemn look of the big pecan trees lining the lane with snow still covering the north side of each trunk. The quiet stillness of the outbuildings only broken by the sound of melting snow dripping off of their roofs. But now we're all ready to see it go!

Nathan missed a few days of school due to the snow, being in private preschool he won't have to make up the days. They were able to make it back for their Valentine's Day party and he made his teacher a special card. He did all the writing himself while I helped him with the spelling.

We've made such beautiful memories sledding in the snow this winter. I doubt she'll remember this big snowfall, but for now, who cares, and I think she likes snow more than dirt. And for those who know her, that is saying ALOT!

Pretty soon the farm will be awakened from it's hibernating sleep. The jonquils will start to bloom and the bluebirds will begin making their nests in the birdhouses. Spring will return to the farm and warmer weather will certainly be welcomed!

Bring on the Snow!

2010-02-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a l-o-n-g past 4 days. We had a record breaking snowstorm move through the area Friday night into Sunday morning and it left around 10 inches of snow here at Woodland. Cabin fever has been setting in so we've been building forts, making crafts, playing the Wii and anything else we can do to pass the time.

And it even includes penning them up when needed. No, actually we were cooking with grease on the stove and they decided to set up a running track starting from the stove to the front door. We quickly ended that game and it wasn't a hit as you can see.

We've spent the past 2 days sledding up and down the lane and all over the farm. We tied the kids sleighs to the back of the 4-wheeler and the kids had permanent grins on their faces from the cold wind! It was brutally cold Saturday, never reaching above 25 with wind gusts over 30 mph. At times it looked like a blizzard blowing outside.

Once it was done the beauty it left was breathtaking.

It's the biggest snowfall the children have ever seen and it will probably be one of the first that Nathan will recall when he gets older. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to go outside. By now he knows the routine of layering his clothes and where to put them when he strips in the mudroom. And they are calling for more snow tomorrow night and possibly another storm this weekend. We've been long overdue for the white stuff, I don't mind, bring it on because the memories we're creating will keep me plenty warm inside my heart when they are grown and gone from Woodland.

A Break in Winter's Cold Grip on Woodland

2010-01-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

The weather was so warm today reaching 61 on the farm. It has been in the 20's and 30's for two weeks straight so we took advantage of the beautiful afternoon and did as much as possible.

While Nathan climbed the trees and kicked the soccer ball, AnnaBelle was content digging in the dirt, and of course tasting a little bit. It has been a while since she's been able to eat a little dirt!

Nathan also tried out his skateboard and I was surprised at how much practice inside on the carpet helped him when he tried it on concrete. He really likes skateboarding and by playing one of his (mine) ds games he knows who the legend Tony Hawk is and tries to emulate him.

This is our pond on the back of the farm and last Sunday we all took a trip down there to skate and slide around. The water is only a couple of inches near the bank and up to ten inches near the tree stumps so I wasn't TOO (lie) concerned when we all got out there to play. Yes I was a nervous wreck everytime AnnaBelle took off.

She is getting as fast as lightning and doesn't walk anywhere, preferring to run. Yes I think I have a future athlete on my hands with this one. And it looks like she is going to be a lefty, just like her Mom (and Dad).

Ushering in 2010 with Cold, Windy, Blustery Days!

2010-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

I took down the tree in the upstairs hallway and moved the kitchenette and tea table set from the music room. This is as clean as its going to look for a while, I guarantee it. They have both enjoyed playing with it and AnnaBelle has had several tea parties with her little doll and a couple of stuffed animals.

We made some crafts today. I let him be as creative as he wanted. I started by giving him a blank piece of paper and then asking what he wanted to use on it. I would pull out what he told me and he came up with quite a design, well, truly one only a mother would love!

But it's the quality time spent together that is the true time well spent. It's our alone time when AnnaBelle is napping and he can have me all to himself. I do cherish these moments because I am learning how quickly they grow up. My little man is already 5 and will be starting kindergarten in the Fall. Yeesh!!

Crayola Beginnings has a winner on their hands. The "Color Me a Song" is one of the most creative toys to come along in a while for the age group. She has done more scribbling in the past few days than she has ever been exposed to. And a HUGE thank you to the inventor of washable crayons. They are a timesaver!! So on a scale of 1 to 5 stars (5 being the best) I would give it a 5! Easy to get out of the box, which these days for a toy is a chore in itself, and a good buy for the price!

So we welcome 2010 we open arms and the hope for a happy, healthy and prosperous year to everyone!

And So this Was Christmas...And What Have You Done...

2009-12-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus was kind to the kiddies at Woodland this year. AnnaBelle loves her Encore Elmo and the 4-wheeler, well, that will take some getting used to. She hopped right on it and took off running over the tea table and some boxes. She hasn't been on it since. I think once the ground dries enough on the farm we'll be able to take it outside and she'll roam around discovering her new found freedom.

Nathan received his first bicycle and some ds games, along with a trampoline! I can't wait for it to go up and really have some fun!

The kiddies were amazed at this Santa display at Grandma Jessie's. His belly opens up revealing the household spinning in a circle, sleeping while T'was the Night Before Christmas is recited.

This beautiful woodpecker was rescued by George when he heard his cries coming from the bbq shack. Three of our cats had cornered him behind the refrigerator and were getting ready to pounce on him when George picked him up and placed him about 6 ft clinging to a pine tree. He stayed there, stunned I'm sure, for over 30 minutes until he chirped and climbed up higher into the pine tree.

Yes Christmas 2009 at Woodland was a memorable one of good times, good food, and company, and the reminder of Jesus' birth. Nathan and I went to the candlelight services at the local UMC and I let him take his first communion. His UMC Preschool has taught them the true meaning of Christmas and I was so proud of him doing so well during the hour and 15 minute service.

Miss AB loves her Crayola Beginnings, "Color Me a Song" it's INCREDIBLE!! And so does Mom. Neat toy, second to the Glo Doodle of Nathan's. I could play with that thing for hours.

I leave this post with these words from Ambrose Bierce,

The hardest tumble a man can take is to fall over his own bluff.

Christmas Eve Eve

2009-12-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

We've been busy making presents for the grandparents and getting ready for the Big Red Man to make his visit tomorrow night.

We completed out Gingerbread House. Nathan and AnnaBelle ate more of the candy instead of decorating the house, but we completed it and had a wonderful fun-filled afternoon of laughter. Just look at those red mouths from the sprinkles. I told him he could eat it for breakfast tomorrow morning if he wanted to. Hey, it's Christmas week and in this house anything goes!!

We had some measurable snow last Saturday into Sunday so we pulled out the sleds and rode around the fields. This was AnnaBelle's first sleigh ride and she absolutely giggled with glee. When it was time to get off she cried and kicked to stay on. Nathan was excited and screamed to go faster. It was great to have some snow this close to Christmas. A rarity in these parts!!!

"Oh just let me touch this one", and she pulled it off and I haven't found it since. This is the tree I put hallway window upstairs. I let the kids decorate it with whatever they want. Nathan has made some of the decorations and AB enjoys yanking them off!

This little guy can hardly wait for Christmas. He has asked me everyday since school let out whether or not it the that day was Christmas. It's so hard for a 5 year old to comprehend time so I have been telling him how many days he has to go to sleep and somehow it has helped. At last I can tell him in the morning that Santa comes that night!!! I am super excited too because we got a huge 15' enclosed trampoline that I can't wait to jump on with Nathan. And there is laser tag to play, treasures to find around the farm with his new metal detector along with tea parties and baby dolls for AnnaBelle to play with. Christmas is such a beautiful time of year and I am instilling in Nathan that the true meaning is the birth of Jesus. His preschool has thoroughly explained the birth of Jesus Christ and I am hoping for him to take his first communion tomorrow night.

Going on a Trip

2009-12-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Williamsburg the past weekend and stayed at my m-i-l's timshare condo.
Our ferry ride over was a little bumpy from a windy day. AB rode with me while Nathan rode with his Grandma and Calli.

We visited the President's Park on Friday. Quite an interesting place. I have seen it from Rt. 199 over the years and have always wanted to stop there. We didn't stay long because of the cold but it was fun. Nathan is standing beside Ronald Reagan in this pic.

And of course by his favorite President of all, George Washington. Just look at that admirable grin!

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens made its debut this year and by all accounts it is a huge success. Over a million lights throughout the park and various displays of igloos, every color Christmas tree you could imagine and this big snowman located in France. We will definitely do this again next year because I want to take in some shows and maybe make a reservation to eat dinner with the Big Man!

After 5 years of not even getting close to Santa, this year Nathan vowed to me he was going to do it. He kept his promise and wasn't hesitant at all, walking right up to him and sitting on his lap. I was so proud of him when he told Santa what he wanted and he included asking for a trampoline for his Mommy! Thanks Boo! Afterwards he told me, "Give me a high 5 Mom, I did it!" Yes you did my little man, you are growing up so quickly before my eyes.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

When my parents moved from Virginia Beach back to Franklin in 1991, they decided to decorate the top of the baby grand with a Christmas Village each Christmas. The first batch of the grandchildren were very small and they adored looking at what Nanny and Papa had added the 14 years it was displayed. And they would buy a different piece every Christmas.

Back in 2005 my Mother asked me if I wanted to inherit the village. I was speechless! Nathan was born the year before and most of the grandchildren had grown older and they just didn't have the desire to drag the heavy boxes down from the attic in the last few years. At that time my Mom was 74, my Dad, 77. Yes I was speechless because I couldn't believe I was given the honor of carrying on the tradition.

I set it up for the first time in 2005 and could never duplicate the beautiful likeness my parents put into it. There was once a working ice rink, a train and street lights, but over time they puttered out. In 2006 I hesitantly decided to display it but my Mom talked me into it and said how much Nathan would enjoy the village at night. That Christmas Mom was so sick and it wasn't much celebrating deep down in my heart. But display I did and Nathan gazed at the lights and city in amazement. She was right, she was always right.

The Christmas of 2007 was extremely tough on the family. The first one without Mom and she LOVED Christmas, went all out decorating the house and it was always fun to find out where the movable cardboard Santa was displayed in the house. I thought long and hard about pulling the village out, but out it came, but not every piece left the box. With the birth of AnnaBelle in 2008 I again put up some of the village, enough to satisfy the children's curiosity.

This year I have included the entire village and we added our first piece this Christmas. Nathan picked out this family sledding, telling me it reminded him of his family with him driving the sled. I lovingly put the date on the bottom as my parents did on every piece. And this year there is such a joy I feel when I see the village. The children being a little older are marveling at it's tiny features and glowing lights.

I love my Christmas Village and I love the fact that I am carrying on a tradition started by my beautiful loving parents and one day I hope one of my children will set it up and remember the fun times of Christmas' past with us and start some more beautiful memories of their own.

2009-11-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

The month of November is a time of reflection of everything to be thankful for, but I am grateful every day for the gifts God has given me. I have a beautiful son who is growing rapidly before my eyes. He turns 5 at the end of the month and I still wonder where the time went. His imagination is boundless along with his energy. He captivates me with the bluest eyes I have ever seen and I love to hear his adventures and stories when he dresses up in his costumes.

And little Miss AnnaBelle Farrar is constantly exploring her surroundings more and more each day. She has a fierce determination to tackle any obstacle that comes her way and she doesn't give up, a quality I want to nurture even more. I never knew how much a little girl would touch my heart.

I have a wonderful life, a great soulmate for a husband who loves me and his children with such loyalty and devotion. And it's the little things in life that make us happy, just spending time together as a family.

And Then There Was Ida.....

2009-11-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

What a week, what a week. Ida brought rain Wednesday and then developed into a nor'easter Thursday and Friday and hammered us inland with 8 inches of rain and wind. The Norfolk and Virginia Beach area and the Peninsula were hit the hardest and some people are still without power. It was ranked as one of the Top 5 worst storms in Hampton Roads.

I was prepared for this one and made sure the kids got out to play before the rain set in. It was tough because they are getting over sicknesses and I wanted them to get some Vitamin D from the sun and simply run around for a while.

We spent some time in the Fall garden and it is coming along nicely. The broccoli is heading, as well as the cabbage and lettuce. AnnaBelle was the last one to get sick, but hers didn't last long. She shook it off quicker than any of us. I wonder if that dirt eating helps?

Walmart had their Halloween costumes 90% off and I grabbed as many 4-6 sizes that I could find. He ended up with Captain America, Megatron (pic above) Darth Vader, a Storm Trooper and Batman. He was speechless when I handed him a few. I gave them over a period of a week and they occupied him while the rain and wind pounded outside for two days straight.

Ellie stayed glued to the couch and must have a bladder the size of the Titanic, but even that sprung a leak, so she had to go outside to face the elements and was not a happy camper returning looking like a soaked rat.....So we don't need to see any rain for a while. fingers crossed.....

Just Put a Quarantine Sign on the Door

2009-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have seen all of us down with chest colds, sinus infections and a general funk. I started it off with a sore throat the week before Halloween and it then migrated into a sinus infection this week. Nathan has a chest cold and cough and AnnaBelle is fighting one off. George has just come down with the illness and well, you know men, he's the most pitiful of them all!

Yesterday was in the 60's so I let them ride with me down the lane to get the mail. We picked up a few pecans along the way. They are starting to fall everywhere, and when I opened a couple they were still wet, so I'll spread the ones I pick on newspaper on the mudroom floor. Can't wait to start crackin'. I have an almost "crack" addiction to shelling pecans. And it was quite a lucrative season last year.

Nathan stayed out of school almost the entire week. I sent him on Thursday because it was picture day and I didn't want him to miss the class picture. He did real well and I told him if he was feeling bad to let the teacher know. Well he took full advantage of that and I got the call around 10 that he was crying and coughing, so off AnnaBelle and I went to pick him up. We decided to make turkeys to hang in the windows on either side of the front door. It was a fun project and Nathan did so well cutting out the colorful turkey feathers from construction paper.

Miss Priss has been begging to get on the old computer we have. I have games on it for Nathan and she has seen him playing them and wants in on the action. I think she has about 15 screens open right now!

Yep, we need a magician or a magic wand to bade away all of the germs that are infesting Woodland right now. What we really need is a good freeze or better yet snow for a week!!!

The Freaks Come Out at Night!

2009-10-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ah that time of year again. We are starting to get quite a collection of costumes. I wore this one 5 years ago after changing my mind. I have a geisha girl costume but with a cold coming on I didn't want to deal with the white face and having to constantly wipe my nose. I found George a new costume, after being a pirate and a scarecrow this year he was Julius Caesar and he thought it was extremely comfortable.

My little Miss AnnaBelle Farrar was a flower garden gnome. Bless her heart, she hasn't had much sleep lately because of an eye tooth coming in and she looked like she was ready to go to bed when I put her costume on around 4:30. She went to a couple of houses but soon tired out so Nathan and I trudged onward.

Nathan has so many costumes and he changed his mind several times over the week but when it came down to the decision he stayed true to his form and was Spiderman. He loves that costume because he has an obsession with muscles right now. He even lifts little hand weights in his room to pump up his arms. And he is dedicated to doing it at least once a day. He has moved up to the 3 lb weights now!

So another Halloween has come and gone and Nathan boasted that he had a good time the entire trip back to Wakefield. AnnaBelle fell asleep before we even left the city to head home and once we got here she was more than ready to end this freaky, strange day!

A Warm Day in October

2009-10-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the perfect afternoon for a getaway. The temps were in the 80's and a southerly breeze was blowing.

We headed for the ravine. A washout between the cotton and soybeans where the children found a new hangout. George found it and took them there a few days ago and Nathan has been begging to go back.

AnnaBelle said the dirt here was the best on the farm and comes in chunky sizes!

Nathan brought his sword so he could fight off the bad guys should they appear. I am really diggin' on the boots! He has almost grown out of them, but alas his Grandma Jessie has bought him a pair for Christmas.

Even Miss Ellie joined in on the fun. She kept up with us until it was time to go and then jumped on the golf cart.

2009-10-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

There is so much to explore on the farm, each day is a new adventure to these two. With the cooler weather we can venture into the woods.

This spot is now a favorite and when we head around the farm on the golf cart they both beg to go to the ravine!

Wow, my little girl is growing up and trying to talk more each day. It's amusing to hear the words that come out of that little mouth and I believe she will be more of a talker than Nathan and that is saying ALOT!

I used a warp brush on the background of this pic. That is a sundial he is leaning against and heavier than you can imagine.

We met my father's new girlfriend with a dinner at the Parsons Hotel. It was a wonderful evening. Nathan thought the cheese on the tray was American and when he realized it was cheddar he wanted to grab a napkin so he could spit it out!

Thursday Stuff

2009-10-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Mr. Scarecrow Pumpkin head sure is scary looking lit up when coming up the lane....BOO!

AnnaBelle and her remora, Weasel. He lost is left eye somehow poking it into who knows what, but he has adapted and loves to follow us around the farm.

Ellie could chase imaginary squirrels all day long. I'll holler to her that one has gone up the tree and she goes ballistic. Jumping up and down, running to the tree and chewing the bark off of it.

The soybeans are drying out and will soon be harvested. I'm hoping that they will plant a winter wheat once they are finished.

Little Miss AB Farrar and dirt go together like peanut butter and jelly and just as messy if you allow free reign. The garden is cranking with the broccoli, cabbages, lettuce and kale looking so beautiful. And we are picking butter beans slowly. They are hanging everywhere but haven't filled out yet because of the cooler weather. But these warm sunny days help speed things up, some.

Gone are the Dreary, Windy, Rainy Days (For a While)

2009-10-19T18:00:00.001-07:00

We had an extremely cold and rainy past week. It started Tuesday and it didn't let up until today. So what did we do with our time inside? George made a delicious pot of homemade soup from everything produced from the garden. I made an apple cake that all of us devoured each day. We made halloween decorations to put in the windows. We face painted daily, pumpkins, bats, and the Decepticon logo. And I put red dots all over AnnaBelle's face to look like the measles!

We watched movies, played games and I sat in terror in front of the tv watching the events of the balloon boy, and now to find out it was a hoax. How could you put your children in a position like that? Well it's good to know that little Falcon might have a conscience after all when he puked on live television!

And yes, the Robin Hood costume came from Aunt Mary. What a wonderful job she did on it. Thanks again Aunt Mary! He was so excited to get a package and it was filled with so many halloween goodies for sister and himself.

Today we were able to get out and enjoy the sunshine. We all needed it desperately! I worked in the garden picking snaps while AnnaBelle napped and Nathan came down and entertained me for a while.

After AnnaBelle woke up we decided to take the mini-truck to the back of the farm and pick up walnuts. We gathered quite a few from one tree and still have more to pick up. It's just the first step in a long process of producing the end product. But this year, it's well worth it!

A Saturday Evening in October

2009-10-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

AnnaBelle has a strong affection for our bed. She loves to wallow around in the covers and jump into the pillows. But the sweetest thing she does in when George wakes up before me and gets her up. Once she has had her bottle he opens the gate so she can come back to the bedroom. She whispers baby talk as she climbs the stairs to the bed and once she is up there she gently crawls towards me and plants a good morning kiss on my face. It's so wonderful to be loved!!

I ordered a rug for her on overstock.com and it arrived three days after I placed the internet order. It's nice to know her feet will be warm this winter. I'm pleased with the colors and AnnaBelle approved by smiling and rolling all over it.

Though we have had some warm days lately you can feel Fall in the air and the cooler weather isn't far behind. My favorite season with all the vibrant colors of the leaves, and the opportunity to wear sweatshirts again! We'll see how much longer I'll hang out clothes with the cooler weather approaching. I might have to break down and use the dryer.

This sits in the back of our yard. It dates back to the 1780's. It's the original house on the property. It's a one room house with a winding staircase that leads to an upstairs loft. So much history behind that door. We plan on restoring it and renovating as much as we can so the kids can have a hangout when they get older.

They have started combining the cotton around the farm. The growth of the cotton plant has always fascinated me. Once they have done a field so much cotton is still left on the husk and ground. It seems such a waste to me, but who am I to question. I use what I find as snow filler in my Christmas Village on my piano at Christmas time.

Of Earaches, Chest Colds and Healing

2009-10-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

This was the calm before the storm, well maybe two days before the hell of a child with an earache and URI, her first to be exact.

These pictures were taken the day before we went to the ER. It was rather warm that day and she had been inside for the past two so I let her walk down the lane and play on the porch with her brother. Her eyes are already starting to look weak in the picture above.

Nathan has had a chest cold for about a week, but luckily his ears are fine. When I told him Friday afternoon we had to go to the ER because I thought AnnaBelle might have an ear infection he was extremely sympathetic. Telling me that he knows she must be hurting bad.

We arrived at the ER around 2 in the afternoon and it was packed. We found some seats and I gave Nathan my Ipod and he watched a Spongebob movie while I paced the floor with AnnaBelle in my arms. I was so proud of Nathan behaving because we had to wait almost 2 hrs to be seen. I had given her some sweet oil before we left and it eased her pain. Now she was running around as if she wasn't even sick. I felt like an overprotective Mom but that quickly vanished when we finally got back there and saw the Dr. who confirmed my diagnosis. She said her ear was flaming red so they put some drops in it and gave me a prescription for amoxicillin and we were off. She slept restless that night but she is so much better now.

Back to running around the house driving me crazy, I let her go out briefly today while I picked snaps.

Happenings at Woodland

2009-10-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Another eye catching sunset at Woodland. The soybeans are starting to change color and dry out and soon they will be harvesting them.

We sent my Mom (Nanny) some balloons the other day. Nathan always wants to make sure his Nanny has some balloons in heaven and with a southwesterly wind they took off high in the sky towards the northeast.

My buddy, Cowboy McGregor paid a visit this week. He has been working the cattle ranch in Texas and was glad to have a break and tell us about his adventures. Seems he has had to deal with some bad guys out there in the Lone Star state that needed to be locked up and luckily he had some handcuffs to put them in after they stumbled upon his campfire. That Cowboy McGregor lives such an exciting life.

Our Fall garden is rolling along. I picked a half a bushel of snaps today while George picked enough butterbeans for a dinner or two. There are alot hanging on the vine that have yet to fill out, and there are blooms everywhere. These marigolds were some of the biggest that I have ever seen and the zinnias continue to bloom in an array of colors.

I caught him peeking around the corner when I pulled out the camera. He has learned so much in the short amount of time he has been in school. He seems to love the history lessons the most and will come home and tell us about the Liberty Bell, Mt. Rushmore and he knows every President on it, along with our current President and the Capitol. His teacher is such an asset to the church preschool where we send him.

One More Day Till FRIDAY!!!

2009-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ah the finished product. The half bushel of snaps I picked below are now canned and stocked in the pantry. I was able to get 10 quarts and there was enough left over for dinner that night.

I am so glad we decided to plant another row of snaps in the Fall garden. These were the first picking and they are so tender. They will go into winter soups and will also grace the table for dinners. With the ones I put up in July I have 20 quarts in the pantry.

AnnaBelle came around the corner with this on after she rummaged through Nathan's room. I think she makes a cute cowgirl!

The trip to Great Wolf was wonderful but next time we will stay an extra day. Nathan posed for this shot on the bridge before we boarded the ferry.

AnnaBelle was in heaven. She and Nathan had so much fun at the waterpark. Great Wolf Lodge is a spectacular place to spend some quality family time. They cater to the young kids with puppet and magic shows and the waterpark, well lets just say even the adults were having fun going down the numerous slides. And the lifeguards are on constant watch. I felt very secure allowing Nathan to walk around to different areas of the park. He had a life preserver on so that was one less worry and I couldn't believe he went down the big slides with me and his Aunt Mary. If it wasn't for her grabbing him at the last minute, I don't think he would have gone down. We walked up the massive amount of stairs but once I caught my breath at the top and got situated in the tube with Nathan, the joy of watching him scream with delight on our way down was worth every penny.

Soccer Fun on One of The Last Days of Summer

2009-09-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

My little rugrats having some fun kicking the soccer ball around.

Monday, Monday......

2009-09-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

I mulched around the front and side of the house yesterday and today. I probably shoveled, loaded and dumped the wheelbarrow over 20 times. I went to bed Sunday night just knowing I would be unable to move the next morning, but I was pleasantly surprised and I wasn't that sore! If you want arms like the first lady and can't get to a gym, I suggest shoveling mulch. It will tone those arms right up!

I am going to plant mums and pansies around the front and I'm still not sure of the colors yet. It won't hit me until I get to the store and see what they have.

AnnaBelle has started riding on Nathan's 4-wheeler in addition to the real one. At first she was quite hesitant and wouldn't let me out of her sight, but after a few trips around the yard she realized how much fun she was truly having. George took her around the back of the farm and to the pond and he said she talked and screamed with glee when they would go faster. Now we can't get her off of them. She'll climb up on Nathan's and hit the pedal then fly over the handlebars or (since it's happening quite frequently) holding onto the bars and being dragged until she lets up off the pedal.

Mr. Muscle Man had to give me a flex shot when I was shoveling mulch.

One of the many beautiful sunsets on the Woodland farm. I can never tire of them and I have found that no two are alike.

This is a before picture of the mulch project. We once had a massive amount of mulch and plants around the front of the house. We had a young man from the high school plant the tons of impatients and begonias and soon they started dying off. We found out that he didn't take them out of the containers. Now this was back in 2002 and since then I have had 2 children and been hospitalized close to 75 times with pancreatitis flare ups so we just never had the time or desire to remulch. Well here it is 2009 and I'm finally strong enough to handle it and 2 children running circles around me while I do it! Thanks God for your wonderous gifts!

The butterbeans are still producing, George picked half a bushel today and last Saturday we planted our fall garden. The snaps are blooming and we added rows of collards, lettuce, broccoli and savoy cabbage. Can't wait to pick the first snaps so I can put them up for the winter.

George's mom celebrated her 71st birthday and we went to Dockside to eat. Nathan loved the frog legs saying they were better than the chicken strips we ordered for him. We made her popsicle stick frames, glued pictures and then put magnet strips on the back for her to hang on the fridge. We also made her some stained glass flowers to hang in her window. I think she really loved the box of goodies, she couldn't wait to make room on her refrigerator.

This was the cover of the box. Nathan helped put the stickers on. The little ladybugs were his favorite. I went to Michael's to replenish our craft box and boy did I stock up. I absolutely love that place and they are already putting out Christmas stuff. I think this year will be a crafty one for family and friends. We have had some real quality time sitting down and thinking about what we are going to make from the huge containers of well, everything you need to let your imagination run wild.

I love love love this picture. I asked Nathan to help her down the slide and he helped her so gently and lovingly. AnnaBelle is starting to play more with Nathan. Before she would whine whenever he came around her, but now she is laughing at the funny faces he makes and imitating him when playing with his cars and toys. She loves to go into his room while he is at school and dump everything out of the toy box. I watch her on the video and its hilarious. She pokes and prods through all of his things with not a care in the world. Nathan will come home sometimes and run to tell me, "Mama my room is dirty but I didn't do it", now he does contribute his share with costumes and clothes everywhere, but AnnaBelle adds the icing by dotting the floor with little legos and cars and army men and those awful die cast metal planes I always manage to step on when putting him to bed at night.

Sidewalk chalk was great, but sidewalk paint is awesome! We made some fascinating colors with the brushes and pumps. I highly recommend buying some for any youngster you know that loves to use sidewalk chalk. It's made by Crayola.

One of the sunrises on the east side of the farm. This is one of my favorite spots at Woodland. It has the best morning sunrise show and on clear nights I sometimes ride the golf cart and gaze at the stars. In the summer its fun to watch the lightning bugs light up the edge of the woods like blinking Christmas lights. Ahhhh the country life. And Autumn begins tomorrow evening.

The storm clouds behind her were threatening but the rain just missed us. Annie B's doctor's appointment went well. She is in the 95 percentile for height, 75 for her head and 25 percentile in weight. The doctor said, no worries, and she also looked at Nathan's chart and his were about the same then but AnnaBelle is slightly taller. She said, " You're just going to have tall skinny kids". Okay I can live with that, I did for most of my life till the 40's hit! lol :)

Yes the weather was threatening on this day and we did get some rain towards the end of the week, but it was needed and the past few days have been sunny and warm. That might come to an end towards the middle of this week. Looking forward to heading to Williamsburg on Thursday to meet with family for some waterslide fun! You know I'll post some pics of Nathan and AnnaBelle's first waterslide park trip. Can't wait to see those eyes!

Monday Evening News

2009-09-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

AnnaBelle has a doctor's appointment this week. If I had to guess her weight, I would say she is about 27 pounds. Some days it feels like alot more than that when you're balancing her in one arm and a load of clothes in another while going upstairs!

She's really starting to understand the idea of independence and walking where she wants to go without me chasing her. That is one of the luxuries you have raising kids in the country, you can let them go pretty far around the farm, but they are always within sight. That is a luxury that we now have to put on hold. Animal control believes a pack of wild dogs killed an entire families livestock PETS a couple of weeks ago. The farm is not far from us. George talked to a guy from animal control and he feels like it was wild dogs and not coyotes. Whatever it is we now have to be vigilant outside and with the children at all times. Ellie is also nearby to alert us of any danger, but my best buddy is locked up in my gun cabinet and I have a pretty good aim.

This year's elephant ear plants have been the biggest ever since we planted them 5 years ago. I think they are so exotic looking, and Nathan wanted to know if it was a real elephant ear!

Still kicking that soccer ball around. And we have been enjoying afternoons on the basketball court with the sidewalk chalk.

AnnaBelle is still getting used to riding on the 4-wheeler. She is still a little leery of it.

We finger painted Sunday afternoon after playing outside. This was AnnaBelle's first time and I think she enjoyed wearing one of Nathan's shirts more!

Oh yes, Spiderman still lurks around Woodland. I can find him anywhere and at anytime. He is constantly battling his latest villain, Venom, and also the bees that sometimes fly by him when he is in the garden....pssst, let you in on a little secret, Spidey is terrified of bugs in the garden...and he's a spider? Hopefully it's just a phase.....

Little Miss Priss is all about playing outside. She tries to squirm out of my arms when its time to come in. We have 3 kittens who love to keep her at arms length and sometimes she is lucky and will pet one.

Yes Peter Parker a.k.a. Spiderman is very popular around here. (that mask looks a little freaky to me sometimes when he pops around a corner in the house! )

Little Miss Independent eating one of her favorite cookies, Keebler Fudge Stripes. Pretty soon all that garble she is talking will become words and then sentences and then nonstop chatter. Right now her favorite word is no. When she does something wrong and I tell her, no, she will repeat it 5 times and point her finger while slanting those eyebrows, look like a mini-George sometimes!

Thursday Stuff

2009-09-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Nathan started 4 year old preschool at the Methodist Church this past Tuesday. I took this picture before we left. He had a good week and managed to stay in the green. He was excited to start back and I'm glad to get him into the routine of school, again.

Little Miss AnnaBelle loves the one on one time we have in the mornings now. She is starting to really try and form sentences and goes into an elaborate conglomeration of baby talk where you can make out one or two words, but boy does she look at you like you know what she's saying. It's priceless to watch her point at something and explain it to me in a mouthful of garble. I love this age.

The bruise under her eye is from her brother. As you know he is rougher than a gourd and ran by her with an extended elbow. She hollered for a minute and ran to me for a quick hug and then she was off again.

We found quail eggs in the brush pile. We have been calling to a quail for the past week and have been hearing it respond fairly close. We didn't realize how close until we were down in the garden and Ellie scared up a quail from the brush pile and then stood on point. We walked over and found the eggs. There must be around 12.

These flew over while we were playing basketball . They were headed to the pond across the field.

Goodbye August, Hello September!

2009-09-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

We picked close to 5 bushels of butterbeans this week and that is from just 2 rows. The row on the left is what was picked this week, the row on the right is for anyone who wants to come and pick them!

Yes my baby girl is holding watermelon by herself again! We opened up two this week and though she hesitated at first when she saw Nathan slurping away on a chunk she couldn't resist it and had her Daddy give her a slice.

I took some pictures the past week of AnnaBelle is some of her dresses that she got in early Spring for her birthday. Most of them were 18 month dresses and the all fit like a charm. I let her run barefoot down the lane in the front of the house and she couldn't believe the freedom she had been given, and with a dress on too! She took full advantage, squatting down in the rocks and laying them on the front of her dress.

That is her rock pile collection in the front of this gorgeous little dress.

Spending time in the garden watching flowers and butterflies.

I framed this using Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo. This dress also has a beautiful short-waisted knit sweater with little purple flowers. It's an absolutely beautiful dress given to her by her Godmother, T.

Nathan has suddenly taken an interest in soccer, again. I moved the goal, Wednesday over to the field in front of the garden and he has been playing every day since.

He was even telling me how to stop the ball and soft kick. So I guess the $25 camp at Chowan paid off.

AnnaBelle was ready to play, dress or not.

Yes she didn't mind taking a tumble, and Nathan can deal them out on a regular basis.

These cool days this past week have been a taste of Fall. It's my favorite season. The sights of the harvested crops, the glow of the cotton on a moonlit night, and the smell of the changing leaves and freshly dug peanuts. Football games on Friday night and College games on Saturday, and of course the World Series and I am rooting on my beloved Yankees to make it this year!

This butterfly found its way to the garden for another picture this week. I told Nathan it was my mother, Nanny to him, and that she had turned into a butterfly to come and watch him play. He was fascinated with it and followed it from flower to flower.

You can't enjoy the summer without a popsicle. This was only the second one AnnaBelle has ever eaten on her own and she was sticky from head to toe, after this pic was taken they proceeded to play in the sandbox and emerged with it everywhere and in every crevice.

Nathan starts preschool on Tuesday and he has Mrs. Mitchell for his teacher. Bless his heart he is only 4 going on 5 in November but he has the attention span of about 2 minutes on a good day. I have all the faith in the world that this will be the woman to get my little man ready for kindergarten in the Fall of next year. She is great and full of energy and enthusiasm. I like her no nonsense approach to discipline, they are warned once and then its in the red. Getting in the red around here equates to losing something of value, the ds, a prized toy, or television/wii time. I'm going to see how it goes the first couple of weeks and I'm hoping he will be consistent in paying attention and following directions. But I am glad to have him back in school and into the routine of things again!

He has had a fun filled summer of full independence around the farm. But I can see the excitement of going back to preschool. When we walked in to meet the teacher on Wednesday he walked way ahead of me and knew exactly where he was going. He greeted the teacher by himself with no hesitation. My little man doesn't know a stranger and is always greeting with a smile.

This one will be going to the same school in another 2 years unless they offer a 2 year old class. I am finding out how quickly the time flies! But I'm absorbing every moment of it.

Another sunset here at Woodland.

And this little ham wanted another picture taken before the sun set completely!

I took this last Sunday. It's such a solemn look down the lane, and AnnaBelle looks like a little Angel.

After the Storm

2009-08-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

I had another acute pancreatitis flare up last weekend and spent a couple of days in the hospital.
I should have known last Friday the 21st that it was going to be a long weekend, but with pancreatitis you are used to pain, so you just suck it up and hope the meds will help you out. You limit your diet and try to rest the pancreas. Well my pain level got out of control Sunday afternoon and I looked at George and he knew the routine. Before the kids it was a little easier to just hop in the car and head off to Richmond for treatment, but now we have to plan for the care of two precious gifts given to me through this madness and it's times like these that make me feel an emptiness and helplessness that just makes the pain worse. I've had to put George through this illness and I've seen his face with that look of worry and concern and each time I get sick he always follows my lead and is my biggest adversary when combating doctors and their lack of knowledge when dealing with this disease.

I've seen that look of concern in Nathan and now in AnnaBelle and it just hurts so much. Nathan cried at night for me and asked his Daddy to say a prayer for me. He slept on my side of the bed. It was tough to see them visit on Monday only to leave crying, but if one good thing came from this ordeal, AnnaBelle got some bonding time with her Daddy and that made me happy. She has been stuck to me like a tick since my last visit in June and cries when I'm out of her sight. Now once I'm gone from her sight for a while, she's fine. But this time she really got to chill with her Daddy and cuddle in his big arms in the early morning and evenings.

Yes I am truly blessed to have these two beautiful gifts from God. They brighten my dark days of illness with love, laughter and smiles and I am so lucky to be at home to savor it all.

We planted snaps the day before I went into the hospital and this picture was taken Thursday. Talk about some super soil and the seeds were a 2 year old unopened southern states bag we found in a drawer in the mudroom! Can't wait to can them!

My sweet Miss AnnaBelle Farrar lets me do anything to her hair. She has a tough scalp like her Daddy and loves for me to brush it. It's about as much girly girl as she is because I think I have a tomboy on my hands. She has more scrapes, bruises and cuts than Nathan. He plays so rough with her and sometimes she comes away crying, but its very brief and she often goes back for more!

Yes things are starting to get back to normal around here, well, what normal is at Woodland, it could be different at your home!

I picked tomatoes last Thursday and decided to freeze them for winter soups. This was my first time and it was the easiest vegetable oops maybe fruit that I have done so far. After boiling a few for about a minute I dropped them in a cool bath of water.

The shock of the cold water makes them so easy to peel. I peeled the core and any bruises they may have had.

Once I peeled them I chopped them up into even sized chunks.

Then I put them in quart sized bags and froze them. I put up 10 quarts from the tomatoes I picked. I can't wait for winter soups. We have the butterbeans, snaps, corn and will only have to add carrots. That is the only crop we have not had success with here at Woodland. We are planting collards, kale and red potatoes this weekend. I am going to try making Watermelon Rind next!

It's Better to Be Safe Than Sorry

2009-08-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

What's a little girl to do? We worked in the garden briefly today before the storms moved through and broke open a watermelon for the kids to eat. When I handed AnnaBelle her slice she wouldn't hold it. So I had to put it down on the back of the golf cart.

She is now gun shy to eat watermelon for fear of a wasp stinging her.

I couldn't get her to hold it no matter what. Can you see the dark clouds approaching from the southwest?

Oh well, hopefully she will not remember the trauma for too long, because she really likes the stuff. But believe me, if it's around she'll find a way to eat some whether I hold it or she adapts to the situation and finds another means of not having to hold it for herself.